Lasutro woke with a start, their skin warmed by the beams of sunlight coming through the window just left to the bed she had been laying in. Following a quick glance of their surroundings, Lasutro sat up and began trying to put together where she was. Fighting past the throbbing pain that tempted them back into the bed, Lasutro slid out of their bed sheets and slowly made their way over to the tall uncovered window that let in the afternoon sun.
The sights she saw beyond the window eased their anxieties about both the series of empty beds that filled the room, and whether or not she had simply died in a idiotic if heroic fashion. At the sound of a far door opening Lasutro returned to the comfort of their bed. Not long after she got comfortable, the individual who she believed to be responsible for the loud creaking of the far door made their way over to Lasutro’s bedside.
“Ah you’re awake, fantastic. Now how are you feeling?” the older looking gnome asked, their tone not unlike Lasutro’s when she questioned people on things they knew but she didn’t. Lasutro turned to face the gnome, taking a moment to take in their layered robes of ivory, and walnut before she answered.
“I’m a little sore, and a bit confused. What happened?”
“Well I suppose I should have expected that, given how far you fell. No matter. I tell you what I know, but do you mind if I explain as I check your bandages?”
Lasutro nodded in response, at which point she suddenly became aware of the linen dressings that covered far more of their body then she expected, if to varying degrees. As the gnome began their examinations, removing a bandage, checking the wound before redressing it or simply leaving it as is, the gnome began their distracted description of what they knew about the events that had resulted in Lasutro’s stay at the infirmary.
According to the gnome after Lasutro had jumped through the window she managed to use some improvised thaumaturgy somewhat slow both their own and the young noble lady’s descent if only to make it just barely non fatal. Although Lasutro’s injuries were worsened by the fact that the young noble, or as the gnome referred to her, the Eldest Princess Ryea had her fall partially broken by Lasutro’s body. Not long after the window shattered, Professor Sunakra followed after Lasutro but failed to catch the culprit however she was able to get a glimpse of his face which she replicated for Imperial guard after she brought the Princess and Lasutro to the infirmary.
Though most of parts of the gnome’s description of the events were direct and sometimes vague, the part of their explanation of the events in which they described the multitude injuries of both the Princess and the Lasutro in excruciating but clinical detail. When the gnome moved on from the only parts they found compelling they returned to their undetailed and dispassioned description of the events Lasutro had missed.
From what the gnome knew the culprit had been caught a little less than an hour after Professor Sunakra had left the Princess and Lasutro in their care as the so called director of the Academy’s infirmary. However before the day they were to be questioned, the day after the Princess had reportedly awoken from the unconsciousness that had taken her, the culprit was found hanging in his cell. Information which twisted Lasutro’s stomach in a different way than the dread that had hung over them the day of the fall.
About when the gnome finished going over their bandages, they left Lasutro’s side and scurried over to the half office, half infirmary foyer they had initially emerged from, returning following the sounds of clinking glasses, and rummaging through drawers with a handful of vials. Before Lasutro could ask what the dark amber liquid that each vial contained, the gnome rushed back to where they had just come from, returning with an untarnished set of student robes perfectly sized for Lasutro.
“Well Norkra you are, as far as I am concerned, healthy enough to not be in my infirmary. However you are still healing and so I have given you four minor potions. They shall keep your pain to a minimum while you go about your classes, provided you don’t fall out of any more windows. Drink no more than one a day unless you wish to temporarily lose all sensation in your limbs. ” The gnome gave Lasutro a stern look as if to emphasize the point, then adjusted their glasses before continuing.
“If you still have unmanageable pain after you have used up all your potions, come back to the infirmary and ask for Professor Oruker Sanafen. Now the robes you came in were not only soaked in enough blood to be tiresome to clean but also confiscated by Imperial guard as evidence shortly after I removed them, so if you had any personal items in them you will have to make a formal request to the Commander of the Imperial Inquisitors. Your new robes are courtesy of both the Academy and said Commander. ”
Oruker set down Lasutro’s new robes onto the bedside table just beside the bed Lasutro had remained seated on, after which they removed a fanciful letter from a pocket inside their robes and gently placed it on top of the new robes before looking back up at the seated Lasutro.
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“Now before I kick you out of here, you have been unconscious for just about six days,so consider heading to Citadel before you seek out your professors about your missed classes. I know that you might be tempted to push yourself to catch up with what you missed however I suggest you instead just rest. Unless you want to land yourself back in here Norkra. You got it?”
When they finished speaking, Oruker reached into their robes once more and removed a simple folded sheet of paper which they promptly handed over to Lasutro, giving them an intense look that emphasized their final words as did, after which they left Lasutro to their own devices.
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Despite the temptation and desire that pushed Lasutro to attempt to catch up on their studies, the effort it took them to do so made them quickly reconsider. Instead she chose to do some casual reading of one of the few fictional books she had as she laid in bed. Still it was only when the light of the sun began to fade from their window did Lasutro set down their book. Shortly after which she prepared themself for sleep.
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In the morning, after drinking one of the vials given to them by Oruker, Lasutro left for their classes with a quieter, less conversational Henry, a trait she quickly attributed to their fall, or rather what she considered the far more likely reason, who she had fallen with. An insight that reminded them of the unopened letter she had left in their desk drawer alongside The Life’s Work of Paydaego Freesill, which she made a mental note to check when she returned from their classes.
Despite their skimming of the notes she had gotten from their professors during their classes Lasutro found themselves unable to understand parts of the lectures though to a minimal degree with the help of the context that surrounded said parts. Something she chose to attempt to rectify by making their notes incredibly comprehensive. Though the persistent stares of their fellow classmates made it the process far less comfortable than it otherwise would have been.
At the end of each of their classes Lasutro took a moment to speak to their professors to mixed success, gaining some insight into the parts of the lecture that she missed and sometimes simply not having the time to speak with their professor. After she finished the last of their classes and their dinner, Lasutro made their way back to their room. And though their body tried to pull them to sleep, she fought through the dull aches that radiated through their bones as she studied the various notes and readings she got from their professors while also reviewing their new notes.
By the time their will to continue began to falter Lasutro finished what she intended to study, the sun had taken its place low in the sky. At which point she let their growing fatigue drive their actions, and so she slowly took the time to once again prepare themselves for sleep. Though unlike the night before, Lasutro took the time to check some of their wounds, partially due to their curiosity but also to get a sense on how often she was going to need to clean them.
When she finished, she spotted a letter left on Henry’s out of the corner of their eye at which point she was suddenly reminded of the mental note she had made to themselves earlier in the day and made their way over to their desk. After a moment of hesitation borne of their exhaustion, Lasutro removed the Princess’s fanciful letter from its place in their desk drawer and took a moment to examine it.
Through touch alone the quality of the envelope was obvious as was the quality of the ink and calligraphy that marked the unfolded side with “Izora Norkra”. After a sigh Lasutro broke the deep violet wax seal which bore the crest of the Royal family. Within the envelope she found, unsurprisingly, a letter, written in a similar if less grandiose form of calligraphy, seemingly by the same hand as who addressed the envelope itself.
Although Lasutro had some tangential knowledge on the customs and etiquette of Faemrian nobles in part thanks to some of the essays on historical texts she had read but also through the many conversations with their roommate, as a result parts of the letter felt pointless and others like she was missing a key to understanding completely. Nonetheless she read through the letter in its entirety, doing so multiple times in a mostly ineffective method to improve their understanding of any hidden meanings it held. Which it ultimately didn’t have besides its literal meaning.
Beyond the formal thanks of the Princess, and several more casual but still somewhat formal forms of written gratitude, the letter invited Lasutro to tea at the Imperial Villa. An invitation that clearly expected a reply within the next few days, as the invitation implied the day the Princess and Lasutro were to meet was to be a week from the day Lasutro left the infirmary. The last bit of obvious information Lasutro got out of the letter, which filled them with the most anxiety was the likelihood that she would be pushed into attending a party in the palace where members of not only the Princess’s Faction but her brothers’ as well to draw Lasutro into the Empire's growing succession battle.
Although she was tempted to remain awake for Henry’s arrival, Lasutro found the last bit of their energy drained by the new stress that came over them after reading the Princess’s letter. So instead of pushing themselves to remain awake for his opinion of the letter she chose to wait and ask him while they walked to class.
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While the first few minutes of Henry’s and Lasutro’s trek to their class with Professor Defolyum was quiet besides the few questions about how Lasutro was feeling and the short answers she gave in response. Eventually, a few minutes before the pair would arrive at their class, Lasutro posed their questions about the Princess’s letter to Henry, whose face had shifted for a moment to one of surprised confusion before settling into an expression of resigned acceptance. After which he did his best to explain the pieces of etiquette Lasutro had missed based on what she told him of the letter though despite his best efforts he was sure that he was unable to help Lasutro to the fullest unless he read the letter itself. An answer that despite how much Lasutro had expected it, didn’t prevent their disappointment in receiving it.
Like their classes the day before, Lasutro worked to keep their focus on the lecture, ignoring the stares,which had only slightly lessened in comparison to the previous day, that she received from both their fellow students during class and the occasional professor. Though she could handle the stares for the most part, the whispers that she started to hear when she ate in the Citadel’s hall fueled the embers of the paranoia that had left them shortly after their arrival in Udriaph. A feeling which grew to new heights not long after Lasutro returned to their room for the day.
Although she had planned on going through the notes she received from their professors a second time, when Lasutro returned to their room she instead found themselves pulling out The Life’s Work Of Paydaego Freesill for no other reason than the comfort that the knowledge she had gained from it brought them. While she knew it had more knowledge to offer them, she set the red tome in their lap as she sat in their bed while she awaited Henry’s return. Instead she pulled off the silver bracelet that she had collected along with their new robes hoping to spend some time studying the ever changing script that it held. However the moment the tips of their fingers touched the simple bracelet a horrible realization dawned on them, revealed by the warmth of the metal and upon their panicked examination of it she found themselves filled with a terrifying amount of fear, shame, anxiety and paranoia. A series of emotions that quickly overwhelmed Lasutro even as she turned to the red tome that sat beside them.