--- TIBETCH, YEAR 793 ---
“Daaaaaaaaaaaaaddddddddddddddd!!!!! Orfen is breathing my aaaaiiiiirrrrrrr!!!”
“Daaaaaaaddddddddd!!! Tibetch is also breathing my aaaiiiiiirrrrr!!!”
Tibetch grinned at her brother, the joke between them just as hilarious as it had been the first time. Their father—Hivren—who was sitting beside Orfen, turned to look at the two of them, who were elbowing each other in an increasingly rowdy manner. His dad instincts picking up on their annoyed tones. He glanced at them for a moment, finally absorbed what they’d said, and then turned away again.
“That’s very nice, let me know who stops doing it first, I might let them leave a whole five minutes early.”
Tibetch paused mid elbow swing, a whole five minutes. If she could leave a whole five minutes early, she would be home before Orfen, and she might just get to pick her evening work first. Sparks that wasn’t even a question.
However, Orfen had also stopped and was scooting away from her, “I-”
“IT WAS ME!!” Tibetch screamed, “I STOPPED FIRST!”
Their father glanced back at the two of them, raising an eyebrow, “Really? Did you?”
Tibetch nodded vigorously, “I’m not breathing his air anymore!”
Hivren sighed, turning back to his book, “Since when is air even owned by anyone…”
Orfen stuck his tongue out at her and settled down. Sparking pest… She’d have to fill his bed with worms again for that. Really, since when was there a shifter who was scared of worms? That was like someone from the mistlands being afraid of heights.
Tibetch shook her head, focusing on the door again. Hivren basically had said that she could leave early. When was this supposed to be over again? She glanced at the sun and then out at the gathered crowd again. She knew that her dad was going to make some kind of speech, but it couldn’t take that long, could it?
The three of them were practically alone on the stage, well, besides the three mushroom people sitting on the same bench as Tibetch and Orfen, and a few of her father’s students sitting on the other bench in front of them.
She sighed and glanced at Rasi on her other side, who was watching the crowd with wide eyes, unbothered by the twins’ antics. “Wow! So many people!” He said quietly. He’d forgotten about Tibetch again, even though she was right next to him, but that was alright, he was just a little bit different. It was like how Orfen had started getting sad for no reason lately, people were just… a bit different.
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Tibetch would never admit it out loud, but she sometimes wished that she was a bit different too. To have some kind of actual reason that she always felt so out of place. If she had something different, well she’d be proud of it.
Time continued to pass. Tibetch sighed, standing up and leaning past Orfen. “Dad, when can I leave?”
He glanced up from his book again, smiling, “Tibb, try to be patient. I’ll let you know when we’re done.” She sighed and sat back down, putting her chin on her hands in as bored a way as she could manage. It wasn’t nearly as helpful as she’d expected it would be.
Tibetch closed her eyes with a sigh, finally looking up several minutes later as a hush fell over the crowd. She sat up, looking out at the stage with wide eyes as the queen herself strode onto it.
Queen Steris was beautiful, just as beautiful as Tibetch remembered when she’d first met her a few days ago. She was beautiful and powerful, and just like Tibetch, she was a time mage. One of the only ones who was good enough at it to possibly make her own spellbook for the next generation. Tibetch wasn’t entirely sure what most of that really meant in a practical sense, but she’d heard her father speak about it excitedly all the time.
The queen stood before the crowd and held up her hands, the hush grew into the magical kind. It wasn’t terribly uncommon for powerful mages to learn things outside their affinity—the most famous of those lately being Fora—but it was still notable as the queen silenced the area and projected her voice on the crowd.
“People of Reiaran! Welcome to the grand closing of Starsbane, school of magical arts and practices. As most of you know, it isn’t simply a closing.” She glanced back at Hivren, nodding for him to stand up and approach, he did so, approaching with confidence. Tibetch could tell though that he wasn’t as sure of himself on the inside.
The queen continued though, “The Ayfel has persisted. I’ll admit that I didn’t expect that it would last more than a year, but after over a decade of service, we can firmly state that the will of Lady Raia has been realized. In the words of the founding code she stated, ‘this place will be somewhere that any child, rich or poor, broken or whole, can come for learning. Any child who is in need should have their needs met, any learning they should require and any healing they are in need of.’ I believe that Lady Raia phrased it perfectly.
“And so it is with great joy and anticipation, I grant house Shelex titles throughout Melor. No longer are their kin known only in Sanaria, but I see them and acknowledge the gift they are to Melor. Hivren Shelex is the founder of the new Ayfel, the restorer and expander of Lady Raia’s dream. Starsbane school of magical arts and practices, having fallen on hard times now submits to him in all matters of educational and circumstantial policy. They are no longer Starsbane, but just another piece of the unified Ayfel.”
She nodded to Hivren and turned, sitting down.
Tibetch watched as he approached the center of the stage, smiling. That was good, wasn’t it? That was exactly what she knew he’d always wanted. But sparks, Tibetch was actually a noble now?! That was so odd to think about.
She glanced at her brother, who was picking his nose.
Perhaps nobles weren’t all they were cut out to be though.