Another year has passed in Sandervile, and I just turned ten. I wish I could say that our bi-monthly market excursions have led to a development in my escape plan, but they have only reaffirmed my need for an opportunity outside of the city. Or at least outside of the mayor’s district.

Since I’ve been back to the market, I haven’t seen Deguzman at all. Anytime I inquire about the merchant, I get only vague answers like “Yeah, I know that guy, I think?” or “I’ve seen him around a few times.” Any time I ask for more details, they are never supplied. Regardless, I don’t have a reason to see him yet since I don’t have any items I need right now.

“Kaladin, can you help me with this?” Muriel asked me.

“Of course.”

All the servants, regardless of status, have been working to the bone the last week. We have been preparing for two significant events that will be happening tomorrow. I thought it was a little weird celebrating the tenth birthday of a princess while also welcoming foreign dignitaries for a special occasion, but I guess saving money is always on people’s minds.

Mayor Sandervile is even throwing the party at the mansion. I can count on one hand how many parties he has hosted at the estate, and calling those parties would be a long shot.

They were more like medium-sized gatherings of very close friends than a party for a noble. Of course, Mayor Sandervile attended many events throughout the year, often going to the noble or knight district to attend those functions. It seems he had some kind of aversion to hosting large parties.

“Here, open it, Kaladin,” Muriel ordered.

Muriel had guided me to the kitchen. She had a faint smile creeping up on her mouth as she handed me a white plate that was covered. I took the covering off and was very confused. Why would she tell me to open this? It’s just a cake?

Seeing my confusion, Muriel answered my questions for me. “It’s for you. Happy late birthday, Kaladin.”

“Happy birthday, Kaladin!” a handful of voices called out.

“Huh?”

Sylros and Adria came out from the back room with a few servants all wishing me a happy birthday. Why would they do something like this? I mean, I expected Muriel, perhaps, but to go this far?

“Well, what are you doing? Me and Muri made it for you so eat it! ” Adria exclaimed.

Sylros came and patted me on the back. “Happy tenth birthday, Kaladin. Enjoy the next five years because before you can even blink, you will be a man.” Then he bent down and whispered into my ear. “And this was Adria’s idea, so make sure you thank her.”

I nodded in response. So this was Adria’s idea? I hadn’t expected this, that's for sure. I thought she was too excited about her own birthday to remember me. I guess I should thank her for going through all this trouble. And Muriel for helping her make the cake and by helping… I mean, Muriel probably baked the entire cake by herself. I’d never so much as seen Adria make a sandwich for herself, let alone bake a dessert.

Everyone was eyeing me expectantly as I held the cake in my hands, so I set it on the counter and grabbed a fork. It wasn’t decorated or anything and just looked like a lump of light brown chocolate. I don’t think they whipped out any of the volumes on how to bake a cake for a royal out of the library.

A pang of pain and sadness struck my chest before I dug in. I slowly looked up at everyone who was smiling and waiting for me when I had a realization. This is just like when Mom, Dad, and Grandpa were waiting for me to eat that cupcake on my fifth birthday…

“What’s wrong, Kali?” Adria asked me.

“Oh, nothing… I’m just so happy you did this for me. Thank you,” I lied.

Adria beamed a smile at me while Muriel just closed her eyes and said nothing. I took a bite of the cake, and it was very sweet. The cake was still a little warm and the chocolate melted in my mouth. I think it tasted good, but for some reason, I didn’t like it very much.

That cupcake tasted a lot better…

Afterward, we all mingled for a bit in the kitchen. The other servants wished me a happy birthday and gave me words of encouragement or praise. Sylros left shortly after to attend to some business while Adria and Muriel stuck around. We talked aimlessly about the last few days and how hectic it was for all of us.

Well, Adria’s “difficult” times included getting fitted for a new dress or going to hair or nail appointments in the noble district. And other miscellaneous tasks to get ready for her big day tomorrow.

Even so, as I watched the two of them talk and clean up the small party, I couldn’t help but feel conflicted. I feel like I should be more grateful or even slightly happier for them going through all of this for me. It was only a thirty-minute ordeal but considering that I was a slave, I didn’t deserve even a passing glance.

Why was that? Did I hate these people? I don’t think so… I definitely don’t hate Muriel.

She has been a beacon of warmth and kindness since day one for me. I can say with absolute confidence that I see Muriel as a friend. Even if we don’t see eye to eye on our positions, I can hardly blame her. Even Sylros, who can be hard on me sometimes, isn’t cruel or mean-spirited about anything. He simply just wants to serve House Sandervile, and even so, he is still kind to me. So it’s hard to hate Sylros.

Even Adria, who is my owner and master, treats me with respect and kindness, like a person. Adria even sees me as her friend. She has never once called me her slave or even used anything other than my name. Adria never asks me to do anything she wouldn’t do herself.

I mean, I do things that are expected of me as a servant, but as for Adria, I’m not sure if she has ever given me a direct order. She jokes around and orders me not to wake her up or accompany her to the garden. But that’s it.

So I don’t hate Adria, either.

But even with all that being said, why is that I feel so dissatisfied? These people went out of their way to try and make my life just a little bit better, and I’m not enjoying this whatsoever. So why is that? I stared silently out into the kitchen as I pondered those questions and the only answer I could come up with was…

I just don’t care.

My feelings haven’t changed since the day I arrived here. No matter how kind they were to me, these people could never replace my family or friends. I’d sacrifice all of them if it meant going home tomorrow. My freedom and happiness are just an illusion here in Sandervile. Just like it was before I died. But I’ve learned my lesson. I know what I want. I promised I wouldn’t be a tool and that I would live the life I wanted.

This is not the life I want to live.

—

The day of the party came. The gatehouse was open, and carriages of all kinds flowed into the mayor’s district. The carriages were decked out in fancy embroidering and precious metals as nobles showed off their wealth before even being seen themselves. Even the horses were wearing opulent pieces of cloth.

Men dressed in fancy formal wear strode around the place, boasting about this and that as they sipped wine amongst others. Ladies wearing the finest dresses the markets had to offer mingled amongst each other, catching up after years of not speaking to each other or gossiping about recent happenings.

It wasn’t just people from Sandervile here either.

Nobles wearing light blue outfits associated with Ostela were present as well, along with nobles wearing maroon or pink from Whieland. Even the occasional individual in bright red could be seen sprinkled in amongst the throngs of people. They must be from the Kingdom of Luminar, yet none of them seemed all that important.

The first floor of the mansion was packed to the brim with people. Servants bounced from group to group offering drinks or finger foods to people. Alcohol, conversation, and food were flowing like a river among these people. And it all made me wonder.

Who was this for again?

Wasn’t this supposed to be a ten-year-old’s birthday party first and a greeting for a dignitary second? I mean, even if you flipped those things around, I’m not sure this scene matched that. I didn’t even see many children walking around either. There were a few. Some were younger than ten, others a bit older, but they were all with their families.

This is nothing like my fifth birthday party or even the plans we made for Cerila’s tenth… Cerila’s tenth birthday… we never did get a chance to celebrate that did we. She would be turning thirteen soon as well…

I hope she is okay…I miss her.

“Kaladin? Are you ready?” Muriel asked me, knocking me out of my thoughts.

“Yeah, let’s go.”

Muriel and I weren’t part of the general servants or slaves today. Even Muriel, who always wore her grey and brown slave maid uniform, had a black and orange uniform on that matched mine. As Adria’s direct servants, we weren’t expected to wait on any guests other than Adria or one of the Sanderviles. These uniforms helped others know that. Of course, if somebody gave one of us an order, we could hardly decline. We were still slaves; just about anyone here could see us killed for even the slightest offense.

After another year, I had to get another suit tailored for me. I’d finally done some growing… not much, but it was something. I was hoping my constant physical activity would allow me to gain some muscle, but I just can’t seem to maintain any. This small Elven just wasn’t built like a Humans… I was also still the shortest person in the room most of the time. Even Adria was taller than me.

I swear if that one year of starvation crippled my growth. I’m gonna lose it.

I couldn’t live the rest of my life knowing that Padriac was going to make fun of me for being shorter than him. I’d have to crawl into a hole somewhere and live out my days till he died of old age.

Together Muriel and I pulled open the giant double doors as grandly as possible. We had been practicing this move for hours under the watchful gaze of Sylros. “It’s in the speed of the door opening,” Sylros had repeated.

I wasn’t sure if the speed mattered, but it did draw everyone’s attention. The doors opened, Sylros strode through, then went straight to the side. His voice was clear and carried throughout the silent room as he proclaimed the entrance of Mayor Sandervile and Adria.

Together the father-daughter pair walked out into a giant banquet hall where everyone was waiting for them. Nearly everyone in the room took a knee and bowed their heads. Only those of similar status or from other countries gave polite deep bows.

I suppose taking a knee in front of someone who was essentially another king could be seen as treason. But, in what roundabout way does that make sense? The line between respect and not too much respect seems to be awfully thin to me.

Adria had a completely different look about her today. Her lustrous brown hair was curly and bounced around as she strode through the gathering. Her burnt orange dress was created to impress. Even to the most untrained eyes, one could tell it was fit for royalty. The gems that were adorning the dress reflected the candlelight from the chandeliers, which made her shine.

Even Mayor Sandervile was dressed to the nines today. The man customarily dressed well, but he had gone all out today, it seems. His gray and burnt orange suit was freshly tailored. An ornate blue metal sword hung from his belt loop. He even had a shoulder cape on, something I’d never seen the man wear. The cape bore the symbol of Sandervile, two vipers coiling around a wheat chaff.

Eventually, Mayor Sandervile raised his hand, and everyone stood back up and clapped. Words of admiration were tossed around, and a group of older-looking men in military uniforms was quite loud. At first, I thought they were accosting Adria, but it seems the object of their admiration was Mayor Sandervile.

I recognized them as some of the men who attended the sparse gatherings that Mayor Sandervile had. Even under a barrage of praise from his former comrades, it seems even Mayor Sandervile couldn’t help but turn a shade of red.

After this initial outburst, Mayor Sandervile cleared his throat, and his commanding voice rang out, silencing the entire room once more. “Today is a momentous day. Today we are here in celebration of my beautiful daughter’s first decade of life. We are also here welcoming a certain person from Luminar. It appears, like his father, he is fashionably late.”

This small joke got a few chuckles from the military men and even some of the soldiers standing at guard. I swore I even saw Sir Bril crack a faint smile in the corner of the room, something I didn’t even think was possible.

“Even so, may we celebrate today in Adrianna’s honor and pray for another decade of happiness and health for her and this great city! And may we enjoy our times of peace with our friends and allies in Luminar and see to another successful tournament in the spring!” Mayor Sandervile’s voice boomed.

The hall resounded in cheering and clapping as both father and daughter waved to the crowds. Now Mayor Sandervile and Adria split and were followed by their respective servants, Sylros to the Mayor and Muriel and me with Adria. This was apparently the part of the party where “Business” needed to be conducted. Adria was expected to make rounds and greet the party-goers and it was our job to wait on her and the guests she was speaking with.

“You look beautiful, Young Master Adrianna,” Muriel purred.

“Really? Thank you, Muri… I like your new uniform, too,” Adria responded while blushing.

“You look stunning as ever, Young Master Adrianna,” I said flatly.

Adria frowned at me, calling her by her full name and title but it couldn’t be helped. Even she understood in this setting; it would only cause problems if I called her by her nickname and didn’t use a title.

I mean as far as I could tell, Sylros, Muriel, and a few of the servants were the only non-Humans present. I only saw Humans here, and the stares I had been getting all night were not pleasant. Some of the former military men I wasn’t familiar with were even openly hostile with their gazes. Of course, they all hid such looks now that Adria was here.

Is it because I’m a mixed Elf? I wonder…

“Thanks, Kali… you look nice in your new suit too,” she told me with a kind smile.

With the pleasantries over it was time to begin the “Business.” Adria flowed from one partygoer to the next, thanking them or making brief small talk. For the ever social Adria, even this seemed to be a difficult chore.

Somewhere along the line, I stopped paying attention to the names of the thirty-ninth merchant from Ostela whose name I heard. After that, every interaction just started blending together, and if I was this tired from just listening and supplying wine glasses, then Adria must be exhausted.

For a passing moment, we even met Gal, Adria’s older brother. He had never once returned to the mansion, as far as I knew, and this was my first time seeing him. He looked a lot like Mayor Sandervile with his brown hair and facial structure. The two caught up briefly, but I could tell they weren’t very fond of each other. It seems Adria might have a strained relationship with her family members, excluding her father.

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Adria also had no shortage of people trying to gain her favor. They used many tactics, but Adria turned them all down gracefully and continued on to the next. Even when young men who were older or around her age offered dances and even attempted to talk to her, she would treat them as she treated everyone else. It wasn’t until a young boy that looked to be around my age walked over that Adria had any kind of change of attitude.

The young boy wore a gray military uniform that covered his small frame. He had short-cropped black hair that was well-groomed, and he had a small bronze dagger dangling from a chain around his shoulder. He smiled brightly as Adria noticed him, and he spoke out in a voice that seemed high-pitched for a young boy.

Even my voice had begun to change slightly, but I digress.

“Lady Adrianna, you look lovely today. And happy birthday,” he said with a short bow.

“Tristian! Even here, you can call me Adria. You are the Vice-Mayor’s uhh, son. Yes, please call me Adria like we did as children,” Adria said awkwardly.

The young boy returned the awkward smile. “Anyway, who is this? I remember Muriel, but I don’t know him?”

“It’s good to see you again, Sir Relud, I hope your time at the knight academy has been fruitful,” Muriel said with a curtsy.

“Kaladin Ambersoul, Young Master Adrianna’s servant. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance Sir Relud,” I said with a bow.

“Wow, a Dark Elf with High Elf ears and two different colored eyes? Where are you from?” He asked.

“That’s a long story, Tristian! And Kali is my friend, not my servant! Anyway, how about you? I haven’t seen you in years! You are so tall and pretty now!” Adria exclaimed gleefully.

Tristian turned a shade of bright red, and he spoke in a hushed embarrassed tone. “Adria! Don’t call me pretty please, I beg you… and it’s been fun at the academy.”

Tristian then began to fill in Adria about what he had been up to for the last five years. Ever since his fifth birthday, he has been training with the knights at the academy in the knight district. He occasionally complained about how it was difficult, but he wore a smile the whole time. Then they began reminiscing about their childhood and talked about all kinds of random things. Even Muriel looked on with a fond smile.

It seems I may have been the replacement friend for Tristian. Considering that he is the Vice-Mayor’s son, it would make sense that he would be one of the only children that had the luxury of seeing Adria growing up. I doubt even the overprotective Mayor of Sandervile could complain about his second-in-command child spending time with his daughter.

But that’s only speculation.

During their conversation, the doors to the hall opened again, and Sylros’s voice rang out through the hall. “In walks the First Prince of Luminar, Xander Constantine Maxwell. Accompanying Prince Xander tonight is a group of Royal Guards from the Kingdom of Luminar along with his tutor and War God, Lord Vasquez.”

The young prince walked in front of his guards and waved to the crowd. He was a young Human boy in his mid-teens. His cinnamon-colored skin and fiery red hair were only accentuated by the red and gold military uniform he wore.

He flashed everyone a bright smile and his friendly swirling green eyes sparkled as he moved into the hall, followed by guards wearing bright red and gold plate mail. But it was the man walking next to the prince that caught my attention.

He was a tall Human man wearing a black and red military uniform with a large battle axe on his back. He had a thick mustache above his lip, and his brown hair was kept short. His face was marked with scars, and his warm brown eyes scanned the room. He walked with the steps of a soldier. The tense aura of a veteran rolled off him.

So this is a War God, huh? He is strong. Very strong.

Based on aura alone, he is stronger than Sir Bril, maybe even Alnwar. But what about Deguzman? I think that merchant is even stronger than him…

“I see you take after your father, Prince Xander. Always late to the party,” Mayor Sandervile’s voice echoed.

The young prince responded with a smile, and his voice was more soft-spoken than I had anticipated, “Father did always say it wasn’t when you arrive but how you arrive.”

Mayor Sandervile chuckled. “I’m sure he said those exact words.”

“Mayor Sandervile, it’s an honor to be here. On behalf of the royal family of Luminar, I thank you for hosting this year’s tournament within your city,” the prince said while shaking hands with the Mayor. “And of course…”

The prince looked around until his eyes met Adria’s. The royal guards fanned out to the side of the room while the War God followed behind him.

The prince walked up with a warm smile. “ Happy birthday, Adrianna. How have you been?”

“Xandi! Thanks for coming! Where are Ren and Lauri? I wanted to see them too…”

“Lauren is back home and is sorry she couldn’t keep her promise and make it here today. She wishes you a very happy birthday and even sent you a gift!” But his smile turned awkward as he scratched the back of his head and chuckled. “And well, Ren… ended up going on a little surprise trip to the Mists with her master. So I’ll just apologize on her behalf… sorry.”

Adria looked a little saddened, but she smiled regardless. “Well, it’s okay… tell them I miss them when you get back, okay? And at least you are here! How was your trip! Are you staying long?”

The prince and Adria caught up on recent events as poor Tristian just moved awkwardly to the side. The prince was leaving the next day to return to his kingdom to prepare for the tournament. The tournament was a joint combat event held by Sandervile and Luminar every few years. Both countries would send their top youths to compete against each other in combat. It was a tradition that was born from the war when the Kingdom of Luminar was still the Old Empire.

Adria asked all kinds of questions about the happenings of Luminar and the princesses and what they had been up to. Prince Xander recounted everything with a warm smile as he spoke fondly about his younger sisters. It was a completely different conversation when compared to Adria’s last few hours amongst these nobles. She seemed happy to talk about things, and the Prince seemed happy to oblige. Others were hovering around the pair, but none dared to approach them.

Seeing all the nobles that had tried gaining favor with Adria, I had expected the young prince to do the same, but he didn’t. Instead, his smile and kind words seemed genuine when talking about his sisters. He was either the biggest schemer yet or the most genuine noble I’ve run across. But as the two talked, I slowly began to pay less and less attention as I felt a heavy gaze fall upon me.

The War God had only given a brief greeting, and afterward, he stood behind the prince in stoic silence. But his eyes never left me. We were currently having an intense staring contest as he stared down at me. It wasn’t an insulting stare or even one that was filled with hate or malice. Instead, it felt like he was probing me for openings as a fighter.

Of course, I gave no kind of inclination that I could even fight. I occasionally felt his bloodlust directed at me but never responded to it with my own. I realized it was probably my lack of reaction that had him interested in me. Adria and Xander’s conversation began to peter out as the War God placed a hand on the prince’s shoulder.

His baritone voice was deep and rugged. “Sorry to interrupt you, your highness. I believe you have other duties to attend to tonight.”

“Ah… yes, I suppose I do. Sorry, Adria, I have to go. But wait! We already left the big gift at the door, but here, Ren and Lauren both wanted you to have this,” the prince said with a smile.

He took a small package wrapped in yellow from his uniform jacket and handed it to Adria. Adria shook the box, and her eyes lit up. “Is this?!”

Xander just laughed. “Sure is. Ren and Lauren were sure you would love it. You did enjoy them quite a bit when you visited last.”

“Thanks! I already ate all the ones I took home. Tell Lauri and Ren that I miss them a bunch and that I’ll come to visit soon,” Adria exclaimed with a wide smile.

“Of course, I’ll relay your thanks. I’ll be sure to see you again before I leave. Have a wonderful night, Adria, and happy birthday.”

The prince said his goodbyes and he gave me a slight head nod that I returned. The War God didn’t stop looking at me until he turned around to follow the prince. I’m not sure what was going on in that man’s mind, but I guess I’ll never know.

But at least the prince seemed like a genuinely nice guy. It made the idea of fleeing to Luminar all the more enticing. If that was how the first prince was, then I imagine the king and queen must be similar.

“Whew, I’m so tired…” Adria complained.

“You still have a long night ahead of you, Young Master Adrianna,” Muriel commented with a smile.

“I know… I know… I’m thirsty. Kali can I have some of that, please?” Adria asked me.

I was carrying a tray of wine glasses. Did she actually want alcohol? Could she not see how the people were starting to act around her? Let alone the health ramifications…

Oh, drinking alcohol at this age is perfectly normal here, isn’t it?

“What’s wrong, Kali? You have been out of it the last few days. If you are thirsty, you can drink some too, you know,” Adria said with a hint of worry in her voice.

“No, I’m fine. Besides, alcohol is poison for the youthful mind,” I retorted.

This was going to be my brain for my entire life. There was no way I was going to ruin its growth at the age of ten. I didn’t even want to entertain that thought.

Both Muriel and Adria looked at me as if I had said something surprising. “What? What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Where did you get that saying from?” Muriel questioned.

“Oh, uh… ancient High Elf saying my mother taught me,” I lied.

Yup, it seems children drinking alcohol is entirely normal.

“Really? I heard High Elves love wine almost as much as the Dwarves love beer?” Muriel pressured.

“Well, my mom was a little weird, I guess,” I tried to deflect.

Sorry, Mom.

“If you say it’s bad, then it must be bad, Kali. I’ll just go get some water then,” Adria stated somewhat proudly.

Well, crisis averted… again. I really need to think about these types of things more.

The party continued well into the night. Guests continued drinking and eating into the twilight hours. But before everything devolved too much, the Mayor took Adria out onto the dance floor and performed a wonderful dance. I wasn’t surprised that Adria could dance well but the Mayor’s grace was surprising to be sure. I suppose he was a soldier after all. He doesn’t carry a sword around for show.

The night ran down, and guests who could still walk began departing. Those who couldn’t walk were carried by retainers or family and shoved into the back of carriages. Are they not embarrassed with themselves? Getting so inebriated at a ten-year-old’s birthday party? Probably not.

Adria went to bed as well, saying she had something important to do soon. She had a long day, after all. All of us servants made short work of the cleanup, and we were finished before the sun even rose.

I was looking forward to some quality sleep myself.

—

I was woken up far too early the next day by Muriel. I do just fine on little sleep, as can most Elves. We can go up to three days without needing sleep until we start feeling the true side effects of sleep deprivation. That of course didn’t mean I wasn’t tired or that I wanted to be awake right now. But even Muriel seemed to be surprised, and she was dressing frantically and urging me to hurry.

We went to the central staircase and waiting for us was Adria. She was wearing one of her everyday dresses, but she seemed different today. I had never seen her like this before, so I didn’t know what to say.

“Kaladin, Muriel, please come with me,” she asked us seriously.

Although she said please, it was rare for her to order us around. Her tone was completely different, but more importantly, she called us by our first names, not our usual nicknames. Adria must be incredibly serious today, but I had no idea why.

She guided us through the third floor until we reached the Mayor’s office, where Adria promptly threw the door open. Mayor Sandervile was clearly hungover and nursing a headache while Sylros stood at his side.

“Father,” Adria said flatly.

“Adria?” Mayor Sandervile questioned.

It seems he didn’t understand why his daughter was visiting him. The two just stared at each other while Mayor Sandervile just looked more and more confused. I didn’t even know he could make that kind of facial expression.

“Father, I want to go to the academy. And I want to take Kaladin and Muriel with me so they can act as my servants.”

Huh? Academy? What is this about suddenly?

“I see but—”

Adria interpreted her father. “You let Gal go a half year early and even let him stay in the dorms! It’s not fair! I’ll be ten and a half before the second term starts, and I want to attend the winter term,” she huffed.

It seems Adria was very serious indeed. It didn’t seem like she was asking as much as she was demanding that she be allowed to go. I was almost speechless that Adria would even be capable of speaking like this, let alone to her father, the one person she always deferred to.

“Well, that is a good point. I did let Gal attend our academy half a year early,” the mayor said while squeezing the bridge of his nose.

If I wasn’t mistaken, Squeaks told me Sandervile had two major schools. The knight academy and Sandervile academy. The knight academy, as the name suggested, trained soldiers and officers for the military, while the latter was meant for the non-combative nobility. It seems Adria wants to attend the Sandervile academy.

“I will arra—”

Mayor Sandervile was once again cut off by an all too familiar voice. “This request is complete and utter nonsense. This girl is not ready to attend the academy, let alone with two slaves as her servants. The academy wouldn’t even accept the older one anyway, and there is no way we can send her there with a gutter Elf slave to represent our family.” The voice belonged to Keyla Sandervile, Mayor Sandervile’s primary wife.

Gutter Elf? That’s a first. Knife ear and tree hugger are pretty common insults I hear, but gutter Elf was a new one. Must be a Dark Elf specific insult.

“Kaladin isn’t a gutter Elf! He is my friend, and he has proven himself to be a great servant! Even Sylros and father recognize him!” Adria said aggressively.

Wow…wow… It's too early for this. How did I go from being dead asleep thirty minutes ago to being in the middle of a family feud? But going to school… this is… this could be it.

“I apologize for intruding, but I believe Kaladin would make for an excellent representative for House Sandervile. He has—''

Muriel tried speaking up for me, but Keyla silenced her. “Do not speak unless spoken to slave, “she spat. “You and this mongrel have become far too comfortable in your positions. Remember your place,” She threatened.

Then her tone changed quickly as she addressed Mayor Sandervile, who was trying to pretend none of this was happening. “Dear, we can’t possibly send Adria to the academy under these conditions. Surely you wouldn’t send your daughter to live in the dorms alone with two slaves, let alone a single slave boy?”

“Ah, yes… you bring up a good point, dear,” the mayor grumbled.

“How about a compromise?” Sylros suggested suddenly.

Then with a surprising amount of energy, Mayor Sandervile quickly waved his hands. “Yes, go on, Sylros.”

“Thank you, My Lord. As for sending both Muriel and Kaladin, that would be impossible. It is as you say, My Lady, the academy would not accept a servant as old as Muriel. Servants at the academy are there not only to serve their masters but to train to be proper servants themselves. As for sending Adria alone with Kaladin, that is indeed unacceptable.”

“See! Even Sylros agrees with me, dear,” Lady Keyla said haughtily.

“But…” Sylros said with a hint of annoyance at being cut off. “But we can have the Vice-Mayor’s son attend the academy with Adria. I believe he has been training at the knight academy and would eventually have to switch over anyways. Doing so now shouldn’t be a problem. The Vice-Mayor’s son is a trained fighter, and as an untrained Elf boy, Kaladin would stand no chance of hurting either the Young Master or the Vice-Mayor’s son if such an event were ever to occur. Not that Kaladin would do that anyway,” Sylros added. “This is also a chance to gain favor with your subordinates and show your magnanimity, my lord."

“My magnanimity?” Mayor Sandervile questioned.

“Yes, I believe that paying for not only your daughter’s fees but that of the Vice-Mayor’s child would be seen as virtuous. Throw in the education of a lowly slave child, and you will seem even more the benevolent ruler. For appearance’s sake, we can even officially up the status of Kaladin from slave to a servant. Of course, that would just be the official statement. As long as Kaladin understands his true position that is all that matters, no?” Sylros suggested.

Sylros. You… you are a genius!

If this works out… this could be it! This could be the chance I have been waiting for! I almost want to rush and hug the half-Elf man right now. If it wasn’t for this tense atmosphere, I might have just done it.

Mayor Sandervile stroked his chin and sat back in his chair. It was then that Martin, the sleepy mage, walked in without a word, walked over to Mayor Sandervile, and placed his hand on his head while mumbling under his breath. The color and life returned to Mayor Sandervile’s face as Martin left as quickly as he came. It was either no surprise at all or so astounding that nobody even commented on it.

“Now that I am feeling better, I understand the concerns that have been brought to my attention. Unfortunately, as things stand I can’t grant your wish, Adria,” Mayor Sandervile said.

Adria looked crestfallen and was about to refute as her disappointment morphed into anger but before she could boil over, the Mayor continued. “However, I believe in the name of fairness to my children. Therefore, I should extend the same opportunity to you, Adria, as I did for Gal. Muriel will not be able to attend the academy, and I won’t be using my name to overthrow rules that have been set in stone long before my tenure. However, for Kaladin, I shall take Sylros’s recommendation. If Vice-Mayor Relud agrees to transfer his son, then I shall acquiesce and allow Kaladin to attend the academy with you as a servant. Is this fair enough, Adria?”

“Yes! Thank you, daddy! I love you!” Adria said while jumping across the table and hugging her father.

Well, her mood changes rapidly. I guess this is just who Adria is at her core. It was decided that if Lord Relud transferred Tristian over, then I would accompany those two to the academy. Lady Keyla was absolutely livid as she stormed out of the office in anger. But that’s not what matters.

This is the chance I have been waiting for. I can not squander this opportunity. No, I won’t squander this opportunity.