Helena reluctantly finished her meal. Despite her dislike for the food, it seemed she did not want to waste it. Afterwards I showed her around the academy. She talked a lot, which suited me just fine. She commented on the landscaping, the architecture and many other things. I just enjoyed her company, it made me feel less lonely.

Eventually we returned to our room. “Thank you for the tour. That was great!” Helena said. “Now, what do you usually do in the evening?”

“Uh… Not much.” I admitted, slightly embarrassed. “I just play with my magic a bit and go to sleep…” I did not own any book I could read. I did not have any friends to hang out with. So far I had only trained, eaten and slept.

“Really? We need to change that! How about we buy a bottle of wine and go to the park!” She suggested. “Oh, and I am buying, don’t worry.” She added.

“Thanks.”

We went back to the mess hall. Helena approached the counter where you could buy food and returned with a triumphant smile.

“I got us a Gronberry Red!”

I just nodded. I never had wine before and was looking forward to the experience. As we walked towards the park I wondered if there were any rules regarding the proper behaviour of a student. I was never told to not drink in public. Of course, I did not have the money anyway. We settled down on a bench and Helena filled the two mugs she carried. I had not even noticed them before. Did she also buy them?

“Here you go!” She handed me a mug. “To becoming awesome mages!” She raised hers.

“To magic!” I replied.

I tasted the beverage. It was fruity but not sweet. I contemplated the taste. It was ok but I think I preferred ale or beer.

As we sat there, I watched other students walk around. Nobody paid us much attention. I guess students drinking was expected? Or at least normal enough.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

“Do you know anyone in the academy?” I asked. Since she was a noble with certain connections I would have expected her to have friends here. Or at least acquaintances.

Helena grimaced. “Know? Unfortunately, yes. But none of my friends are here…”

“Why is that?”

“Most go to a different school. The royal military academy is only there to train officers. People come here because they want to serve, or because they think it makes them look good. Or because their parents force them here. Something like the Arcane Institute is a lot more relaxed. Less discipline. And the Academy of Neth is filled with luxury. Sitting here without a maid and drinking wine from cheap cups? Unthinkable for a lot of them.”

Technically I was trained as a maid. So she did have one with her. But I did not want to bring up my past, so I stopped myself from making a joke. Instead I asked: “Why did your father send you?”

“Our family has a history of fighting. Of serving the kingdom. Our county is in the north, bordering the everfrost peaks. There are always monsters to fend off. We need people with experience. After I graduate I will serve in the royal army to get some command experience. Then I will return home and take command of our forces. My brother will inherit the county and I will be his general.”

“You have your own army?” I asked.

“Most nobles do. There is a limit to how many forces you can have, based on your title. With some special considerations for dangerous borders. Barons are allowed 1000 soldiers, counts 5000 and dukes 50000. Of course, if called upon by their liege lord they will have to supply them with their troops. Those numbers are for their personal army. A duke calling on their counts and barons will have a much larger force in the end.”

“How big is the royal army?”

“About 500000 I think, divided into 5 legions.”

And after graduation we would be part of it. It was hard to imagine. As we sat there and drank more wine my thoughts returned to her earlier remark.

“You mentioned that you do know someone here.”

She sighed. “My family has a good relationship with Thorus. They are a small dwarven kingdom inside the everfrost peaks. So we are richer than most counts. We are also known for our strength in battle. But we lack the influence, or prestige, of the ancient bloodlines. While my father has been resistant, Duke Harold wants me to marry his son, Leo. He is not our liege lord but we border his territory. He wants us to become part of his duchy. And Leo is here. He is an ass.”

That sounded unfortunate. I hoped that the academy would not allow him to bully her.

“What about your liege lord? Would he not be opposed to losing territory?” I had no idea how that worked.

“Sure. Harold will need the king's approval, or bribe Duke Winston. But he seems confident, so he must have a plan.”

“I will help you fend him off!” I said. Not that I had any idea how to do that. Getting into a fight with the son of a duke would be bad. I had value to the princess, she was my sponsor after all, but I had no idea about the politics involved. Was she allied with this duke? Did she care?

Helena smiled. “It’s not like he can do much. But it will be annoying having to interact with him.” Despite her words she looked worried. Was there more to this? I did not want to pry.

We spent some more time drinking and talking about less heavy topics. Eventually we returned to our room and went to bed. It felt nice, not being alone anymore. I went to sleep feeling happy.