“Ugh. . . Why is everything such a hassle?” Alice complained, lying sideways on my bed before turning on her back, tilting her head up so as to look at me. “He confessed, didn’t he? So why are we the ones in trouble?”

“You know you didn’t have to tell the headmaster you were there, right?” I sighed, sitting with my back against the wall, careful not to move much, fearing I’d tug on her golden locks dangling near my thigh.

“The way I see it, she had no choice.” Penelope sided with her, seated by the window, observing the raging storm outside. “Had she not, you’d be potentially looking at expulsion.”

“You’re being dramatic. . .” I argued, averting my gaze.

“What’s dramatic is this rain. . .” Alice kept complaining.

“You broke his nose, and a few teeth are still missing,” Penelope pointed out.

“And?” I scoffed. “He had it coming after what he did to Ron.”

“–And nothing. I wasn’t defending Dustin.” Penelope sighed, shaking her head. “Look, all I’m saying is you’d be worse off had Alice stayed quiet.”

“Yeah, well. I don’t like it.”

“Then perhaps don’t be so rash next time,” Penelope retorted, though her stern tone didn’t match the worried look on her face.

“Do you think someone in Hamlet sells honey?” Alice asked, poking at my ribs with her finger.

“Really?” I furrowed my brows, looking down at her.

“Yeah?” she mumbled, taking a deep breath. “I’d rather talk about that than listen to you two slowly start a fight over something pointless.”

“It’s not pointless,” Penelope said.

“It really is,” Alice argued, wiggling closer so as to rest her head on my lap with her hands tucked under it. “What’s done is done. I’m just as much to blame for not stopping him, though, not that I wanted to anyway. Still, what’s taking them so long?”

“Not sure, but surely someone’s on their way, right?” I asked, knowing at least an hour already passed since they told us to wait.

“Perhaps the Headmaster is trying to figure out a just verdict,” Penelope suggested.

“Just, hah.” I chuckled at the thought.

“Either way, the more he thinks, the better.” Penelope stood up, yawning deeply before being startled by Egon, who entered the room looking like a drowned rat. “Son of a–!”

He quirked his eyebrow, entering the room. “Well, hi to you too.”

Alice couldn’t hold back her chuckle, and neither could I.

“Sorry. You’ve caught me off guard.” Penelope sighed, taking a good look at him. “But what happened to you?”

“They had no roof over at the training grounds,” he muttered, walking over to his wardrobe before taking off his shirt in front of the girls, confident in his appearance and for a good reason.

Although everyone threw a glance, Penelope quickly turned her back toward him while Alice simply closed her eyes, enjoying resting on my lap.

“You’ve seen Andras around?” I asked, thinking I ought to break the awkward silence that followed.

“Perhaps he’s in the common room. I haven’t checked.” Watching him get changed was hardly the first thing I wished to do, especially once I saw him take off his pants – underwear too. “How’s Ron?”

“Still recovering,” Alice answered, turning her head toward him, but before she opened her eyes, I instinctively covered them for her, although panic set in the second I did.

What was I doing? I asked myself, yet still covered her eyes. My stomach turned with embarrassment, but thankfully she wasn’t protesting, silently turning back while patiently waiting for my hand to move. I had no idea how to explain what happened, but somehow I doubted she’d believe I simply wished to protect Egon’s chastity. She must’ve known why already, although I doubted she knew to what extent Egon exposed himself.

Taking a deep breath, I moved my hand, locking eyes with Alice. Perhaps I would’ve preferred her verbally teasing me over the coy smirk she had glued to her face. However, the awkwardness didn’t last as Alice reached for my hand, giving me a reassuring look.

“Well, he’s in good hands,” Egon claimed, putting on underwear at least. I was so focused on what just happened that I hardly realised how little time had passed between what was said. “But what about you two?”

“Hmm?” I mumbled.

“I overheard a few students talk about how you beat up Dustin.” Egon got into a new pair of pants before sitting on the bed, still shirtless. “Don’t get me wrong, the cunt deserved it. Although I guess there’s some honour to admitting the truth having lost a duel.”

“He told others?” Penelope asked, letting out a sigh. “Great. . .”

“Well, he had to explain why he’s leaving after healing up,” Egon explained.

“Leaving?” I asked, lifting an eyebrow.

“Yeah. Word is he got expelled for attacking another student. So here I am, wondering what they’ll do about you.”

“Worried you’ll never see me again?” I asked jokingly.

“Sure. . .” he mumbled, standing back up before reaching for a new shirt, and although he held it, he walked over to the door without putting it on. “Anyway, I’ll get going now. You three have fun. Oh, and good luck.”

“Thanks. . .” I said, watching him leave before turning to the girls. “Talk about letting me do all the talking.”

“About time. You’ve complained before about how the two of you hardly talked.” Alice giggled, still holding onto my hand.

“Mentioned, not complained. . .” I rolled my eyes at her.

“He’s just like Maya. . .” Penelope muttered, sitting next to Alice, crossing her arms and legs. “Talk about a match made in heaven.”

“Tell me about it. . . Nothing like waking up in the middle of the night,” Alice agreed, letting out a frustrated sigh while thinking of their roommate, a girl I hadn’t met but seen in passing.

“Wait, you heard her too?” Penelope looked surprised and perhaps a bit happy.

“You kidding? Even the dead would wake up to that,” Alice said, making her laugh.

“What are you girls talking about?” I asked, furrowing my brows.

“It’s our roommate. . . She keeps taking care of business every night, thinking we’re asleep,” Alice explained, much to Penelope’s shock – and mine. “Turns out sharing a room doesn’t stop some people.”

“Alice!” Penelope got flustered.

“What?” Alice looked confused. “He isn’t going to tell anyone.”

“That’s not the–” Penelope understandably got embarrassed but stopped herself halfway through her sentence to take a deep breath. “Oh, forget it. . . I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

“That’s the spirit,” Alice joked before a knock was heard on the door.

“Come in,” I said, thinking Alice would move, but she didn’t.

“Pardon the intrusion,” said one of the male students I’ve seen in passing, nothing particularly eye-catching about him other than his uniform having the student council emblem, a white circle with the rune Trust drawn in the middle. “The Headmaster has asked to see you.”

Alice let out a sigh, slowly pushing herself up.

“Thank you. We’ll go see him right away,” I said, glancing at Alice. “You ready?”

“Nope. . . but hey, what choice do we have, right?” She chuckled nervously, despite her earlier display of confidence.

With Penelope wishing us good luck, we soon said our goodbyes and anxiously prepared for the talk awaiting us once we arrived.

----------------------------------------

It was just as awkward as we expected, feeling more like I’d gone to see Father after messing something up. Even the smell was familiar, candles burning all day. However, unlike my strict father, who stoically sat behind his desk, the Headmaster was busy wandering his office in search of something.

“Now, where did I put it?” he asked, making me question if there wasn’t a spell for such a thing.

Alice didn’t say much, looking a bit timid for a change.

“What is it you’re looking for, Sir? Perhaps we could be of help spot it from here.” I offered, thinking it was better than just sitting there awkwardly.

“I could’ve sworn I put it here,” he muttered, pausing for a second before shifting his focus on us. “A teapot. I’m looking for a teapot.”

“A teapot?” I asked, a bit confused why he’d be looking for that now of all time.

“Could that perhaps be it?” Alice asked, raising an eyebrow while pointing at a green porcelain teapot left in plain sight resting on the desk.

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

“Ah. That’s where I’d left it.” He chuckled, walking over. “How silly of me.”

Alice and I exchanged a glance, puzzled by his attitude. He didn’t look mad and certainly wasn’t in a rush, grabbing the teapot and carrying it off to the side. There was a small workbench waiting with a dozen or so intriguing trinkets lying around, such as a crystal ball no bigger than a grapefruit, a crazy-looking silver scale with a lion’s head decorating the beam, and a large mossy green scale belonging to some kind of lizard, perhaps even a dragon. Next, he pulled out his ebony wand, polished to a high sheen. It was long and made in a tapered shape with miniature runes engraved along the surface in a spiral.

“Would you like some?” He offered, conjuring up water with a single flourish and no incantations. “Nothing like Polyflower tea early in the afternoon.” But despite his goodwill, we hesitated – enough to earn his full attention. “Perhaps a different flavour?”

“Sir, I don’t think flavour’s the problem. . .” I politely pointed out.

“You’re anxious, I see. . . Bljutica it is.” While reaching for the drawer, I caught him glancing at us through a tiny mirror hanging on the wall before taking out a bag of amber leaves and a set of cups. Even Alice looked stumped, not knowing what plant he pulled out. Still, we sat quietly and watched him brew using magic which was honestly fun. Plus, he poured us some and brought it over. “Here. It’s a bit bitter but helps settle the nerves.”

“Thank you, Sir,” we said simultaneously, taking the cups.

“Drink before it gets cold,” he suggested, walking over to his chair and sitting down for the first time.

Alice and I looked at each other again before trying out what I believed to be burning hot but was pleasantly surprised to find it lukewarm.

“It tastes. . . really bitter,” Alice commented, licking her lips while staring at the cup.

“But it’s healthy, and you’ve stopped worrying, if but for a moment.” He poured himself some before setting the teacup down and leaning back into his chair, looking at us with those calming eyes of his. “Don’t worry. You’re not getting expelled.”

“We’re not?” I asked, hearing Alice smilingly sigh in relief.

“Of course not. But that doesn’t mean you won’t receive a punishment,” he said, reaching for the lower drawer, pulling out a jar of honey with a tiny spoon buried in it. “Try adding some.”

Nodding, I reached for the jar and offered some to Alice.

“Sir, if I may,” I said, looking him in the eyes while scooping up honey. “The fault is mine. I was the one who started the fight, so could you perhaps just punish me instead?”

“Perhaps I should, but then our Princess wouldn’t learn anything, and neither would you.” He used his wand to magically swirl the tea in his cup, tapping the rim twice prior to taking a sip. “Delicious.”

“Sir, I promise nothing like this–”

“Alex, stop.” Alice cut me off, shaking her head. “Thank you, Sir, for not expelling us.”

“But you didn’t do anything,” I argued, although I should’ve probably let it go.

“Alexander. I’m happy to see self-reflection and the willingness to make amends, but you’re not the type to learn if punished alone, and neither is Alice. So to fix that, every time one of you gets in trouble, the other will receive the same punishment as well.”

“Aam. . . yeah. Okay, I get it.” I sighed, knowing damn well I wouldn’t gain anything from pushing things further. He had me in checkmate. “So what’s our punishment?”

“Well, I’ve been thinking and came to the conclusion that a four-week suspension from all school activities seemed most appropriate, classes included.”

Alice jumped in her chair. “But that means we won’t get to go on the trip Professor Dark planned.”

There was a plan for us to go to the Beastlands, a three-day camping trip. Unfortunately, Alice was really looking forward to going together, and so was I.

“Good. You must learn accountability.” He chuckled, taking another sip of tea.

“Better than being expelled, I guess. . .” I muttered, which got me thinking. “But won’t we fall behind too much? Classes just started, and we’re learning the fundamentals.”

“Sounds to me like you’ll have a problem to solve.” He smiled, leaning forward with his hands resting on the table. “Listen carefully. Use this time to reflect on your actions and learn from your mistakes. You’ll have plenty of time, so I advise looking for some work. Helping hands are always needed around Hamlet.”

“Like in a store?” I asked, a bit confused about what the point was.

“Perhaps. It was merely a suggestion,” he said, but I couldn’t help thinking there was a hidden meaning behind those words. “Now for more pressing matters. Dustin Keywell will be leaving the Academy tomorrow, so I expect the two of you to be on your best behaviour. Remain civil, and no more incidents.”

“We’ll do our best, Sir.” Though despite insisting, he still gave me a sceptical look, and rightfully so.

“I’ll count on you to do just that, Alexander.” His voice deepened, and his ever-present smile faded. “And I want you to know that I don’t blame you for what you did, despite not agreeing. Seeing those we care about getting hurt isn’t easy, especially when we have the power to do something about it. Even the gods argue among themselves when justice comes into question, which is part of the reason written law and court don’t exist here on the island. Though, we must respect the unwritten rules to function as a society.”

Truthfully, I wasn’t sure how to answer.

“Have you told my parents yet?” Alice dropped her gaze, prepared for the bad news that completely slipped my mind. I could already imagine my father yelling at me for letting emotions get the better of me.

“That their daughter watched a fight between your Father’s prized pupil and another Eleron noble? No, I didn’t see the need for it.”

“Thank goodness. . .” Alice sighed, holding her hand pressed against her chest.

“Needless to say, keeping things secret would be best for everyone.” He calmly took another sip, the smile still absent. “That also includes your family, Alexander.”

“Huh? But won’t Dustin tell his parents what happened?” Regardless of how I looked at it unless he put magic on him, my parents were going to hear from them soon.

“He won’t. Not unless he wishes to be thrown in a dungeon for breaking the King’s Law.”

“But wouldn’t Alex be put on trial as well?” Alice asked, looking a bit worried. “We’re known to do dumber things out of spite, even at the cost of our life.”

“It wouldn’t matter since Alexander never fought in any duel,” he said, confusing both for a split second.

“You’re covering it all up?” Alice questioned, just as surprised as I was.

“Why would you go that far?” I had to ask, but then it clicked. “Actually, never mind. . . It’s probably best we stopped asking questions.”

“Huh?” Alice looked back, confused at the very least.

“Well, if that’s everything you have to ask, then I suggest exploring the castle. Although you’ll miss classes, a lot can be learned simply by observing your surroundings.” He finally smiled again.

“Ha?” Alice mumbled, utterly lost as to why the conversation got cut short.

“Thank you, Sir.” I stood up and respectfully bowed before turning to Alice. “Shall we?”

“Ummm. . .” She hesitantly looked at the Headmaster, who simply nodded. “Sure. . .” She sighed, following along.

Shortly after leaving the Headmaster’s office, Alice began staring at me while walking down the hallway.

“What?” I asked, letting out a chuckle, finding her curious gaze charming. She even puffed up her cheeks as if holding her breath.

“Aren’t you going to tell me why you suddenly cut the conversation short just as we were about to get an answer?” She exhaled deeply.

“Oh, that? Who’s the herbalist professor?” I asked, smirking as I waited for her to figure it out.

She hummed, stopping in place with one foot over the other and her arms crossed, pinching her chin.

“Oh-oh! I got it.” She sighed, completely forgetting that Ron’s mother was a professor, and so did I at first. “Now I just feel dumb.”

“Don’t. Thanks to you, we get free time to do whatever, so if you really think about it, it isn’t much of a punishment. Penelope is sure to help us keep up with the lessons.”

“But the trip. . .” She looked genuinely disappointed, dropping her gaze.

“Don’t worry. I’ll find a way for us to go, promise.”

Perhaps it was bold to promise, but I was confident three weeks was enough to figure out a working plan. If anything, I had more than enough free time.

She nodded, smiling again.

“Fine, but I want you to make another promise to me, okay?”

“Okay?” I giggled, intrigued by what she was thinking.

“Now that we’ll be getting into trouble whenever the other does something stupid, I want you to promise me that instead of worrying about how it’ll affect me, you’ll tell me and count me in, okay?” Alice looked determined, like before a duel, offering her pinky finger.

“You want me to make a pinky promise?” I couldn’t stop smiling, clasping her pinky with my own.

“No oath is more sacred, and I’ll do the same.” Alice smirked, proving how serious she was despite how funny we found the situation. “I, Alice Kelthyra, swear upon the sacred pinky promise that regardless of what the future holds, I’ll stay by your side through the good and the bad. Now you say it.”

“Umm. . .” I awkwardly stared at her, feeling a bit flustered. “Yeah, that. . .”

“Hmm? Is that it?” She looked disappointed.

“What?” My voice got higher, and I was soon clearing my throat.

“You don’t want to?” She asked, tilting her head slightly while pushing back her hair.

“No, no. . . It’s not that I don’t want to. It’s just–”

“Just what?” She asked, noticing I paused. It didn’t help that she was cluelessly smiling the entire time.

“Nothing. It’s dumb.” I sighed, shaking my head. “I’ll just say it.”

“No. . . you have to tell me now, or I’ll be thinking about it all week.” She kept pushing.

“Sounds like a you problem,” I argued.

“Oh, come on. . . Please?” She pouted, leaning in closer with those big eyes I kept staring into whenever a chance presented itself. “Pretty please? You know I won’t stop, right?”

“Fine! Fine. But you asked for it.” I sighed again, refusing to let go of her pinky. “It just sounded like a wedding vow, and I. . . Well, I. . .”

Feeling my face turning red, I waited for her to pull back, but she never did. Instead, she caught me off guard by whispering, “Would you be so against it?”

“What?” My eyes shot wide with shock, left utterly speechless. However, Alice couldn’t keep a straight face, bursting into laughter a second later. “Ha, ha. . . Very funny. I should’ve known.”

“Oh, come on! Don’t be so serious,” she nudged me, crying with laughter. “You should’ve seen your face! I can’t wait to tell Penelope.”

“Wait!” I quickly grabbed her other hand. “Don’t tell her.”

“Huh? Why?” She kept chuckling but struggled to wipe away the tears with her hands held.

“Come on. It’s not that funny,” I argued, dropping my gaze from embarrassment. “If Penelope hears, and then somehow Ron or dare I say Eliot learns of this, I’ll never hear the end of it.”

“Hmm. . . Okay, fine.” Alice took a deep breath, calming herself down. “But you have to make the promise.”

“Jeez, I will.” It was hard going against her, or at least I couldn’t. Still, while holding her pinky, I looked back into her eyes and made a quick promise, “I, Alexander Kallis, swear upon the sacred pinky promise that regardless of what the future holds, I’ll stay by your side through the good and the bad. There, you happy?”

“Y– yeah. . .” Her voice dropped as she let go of my hand, averting her gaze.

At first, I thought I had said something wrong, but quickly realised she just felt the same way I did moments ago.

“Ah, so now you’re getting flustered, huh?” I teased with a mischievous grin.

“Shut up. . .” She brushed me off, shaking her head. “Anyway, what next?”

“Now. . .” I looked out the window, noticing it was still heavily raining outside. “Now I go take a nap. We don’t have classes, and the day just calls for a good nap.”

“No way. We should totally explore the castle.”

“Look, I get what you’re saying, but the way I see it, you got to give me this one, or it wouldn’t be fair. Besides, I could really use a short nap after everything that happened, okay? Feel free to wake me up in about two hours.” I smiled, patting her head from the side.

“Oh, alright. . .” She sighed in defeat, but I knew she wouldn’t wait long, so I hoped for at least a solid hour before she dragged me to our next adventure.

Chapter End.

Thank you for reading.