Indenuel turned toward the ground, giving a sigh before straightening.

“Martin, happy spring,” he said.

Martin did not smile. “Happy spring.” His eyes fell on Inessa. “Go back inside, Inessa. There is nothing for you here.”

Indenuel frowned at Martin’s cool tone, then glanced at Inessa who gave a short curtsey before hurrying past with her head bowed. Martin watched her go before noticing Adosina and Elias. They stopped dancing to watch the exchange. Adosina followed Inessa with her eyes before looking back at Martin.

“Addy, be ready to leave soon. It will be a long day tomorrow, and I need my rest,” Martin said.

“Elias will take me home,” Adosina said, her voice firm.

“No, he won’t,” Martin said.

Elias glanced nervously between Adosina and Martin, not daring to speak.

“I am an adult now, Api. I don’t need you to tell me when I should get my rest like you’re my nurse maid,” Adosina said.

“Do you really think this attitude is going to place your beseeching in a positive light?” Martin asked.

Adosina’s eyes darkened.

“Addy,” Elias said quietly. “I had a wonderful time tonight. I would like to have others. I shall see you tomorrow.”

“Elias,” she started to say, but he was already heading toward Martin.

“Happy spring, High Elder Martin. It was an honor to finally meet you outside the beseeching,” Elias said as he bowed.

Martin stared at Elias; his eyes narrowed with a cold expression on his face. He did not bow and didn’t even correct him when he used Martin’s title. Granted, Elias didn’t wait long for him to make such a suggestion as he hurried inside. Adosina picked up her skirts, her glare dark as she hurried after him. Indenuel watched them leave, a part of his heart hurting for them. Martin was starting to act like a bully, and it was partially Indenuel’s fault.

“He’s a good man,” Indenuel said.

“Shouldn’t you be going home yourself?” Martin asked, ignoring his comment. There was a distinct lack of warmth in Martin’s voice. “I’m certain you’ll have your own line of people tomorrow morning.”

Indenuel’s eye twitched. “I will be going home soon, yes. Adosina said Sara might invite me to dinner sometime this week. It had been so long since I’ve eaten at your home, I was starting to think I was no longer invited.”

Martin’s face was chillingly unreadable. “Of course. It must have slipped my mind. On the final day of the Spring Welcoming, Sara would like you to come to dinner. Most of the family will have left, but Nathaniel has promised to have dinner and then leave soon after to rejoin his men.”

Indenuel stared Martin down, doing his best not to feel intimidated by him. He knew why he was acting so cold. If this were Mountain Pass, Indenuel would have already gotten a beating for it. But the fact that he hadn’t yet proved he was in a social class slightly higher than Martin. “I happily accept the invitation.”

“If there is any healing tomorrow among your beseeching, you may of course send them my way. I’ll be in the Cathedral, and I will take care of them since your healing still needs work,” Martin said.

“What a kind offer,” Indenuel said. “But I believe practice will help me grow that power, don’t you think?”

Martin tried to smile, but it faltered, and he resumed his cold look. “Just to be clear, you know the rules against adulterers, right?”

“Perfectly. Which is why I am so comfortable looking you in the eye and assuring you that nothing happened between us,” Indenuel said.

“Oh, I doubt that very much,” Martin said. “The punishments are there for a reason. And a man of my position can stress that if you so much as touch my concubine, I will lay down the harsh punishment all the same.”

Indenuel gave the smallest of smiles. There it was. The bullying. The threats. The condescension. This is what he was familiar with. And unfortunately for Martin, he knew fully the power that came from his own social class. “I do say, Martin, I am starting to lose faith in Sara’s proclamation that her meals add pounds. Because I swear, you look as though you’re losing weight.” Martin’s face didn’t so much as twitch, but that uncanny way in which he kept it unreadable proved he was onto something. “Either that or she’s stopped feeding you like she used to.”

Martin stared at Indenuel for another moment before walking back inside. Indenuel didn’t notice Matteo until he couldn’t help but see the wide eyes and slack jaw as the boy followed Martin with his eyes as the man disappeared into the crowd. “Isn’t he your friend?” Matteo asked.

Indenuel ran a hand through his hair. “Only when I’m not flirting with his concubine.” Tolomon and the girls walked up to him. Isla was looking tired. “Let’s go home. You all need your rest.”

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Matteo nodded as Tolomon fell in step with Indenuel. They walked into the banquet hall.

“He’s right, you know,” Tolomon said through the side of his mouth.

“I have no idea what you mean,” Indenuel said.

“Don’t be a stubborn a-” Tolomon froze, then glanced down at the two girls holding his hands.

“Tolomon! Indenuel!” The group all turned to see Nathaniel fighting through the crowd to get to them. He held Rosa’s hand, who followed close behind. “Are you leaving so soon?” he asked as he got closer.

“We are, yes. It’s going to be a big day tomorrow,” Indenuel said.

“Indeed, it is!” Nathaniel said.

“But Tolomon’s got to finish telling Indenuel he’s being a stubborn ass,” Isla said.

Nathaniel pinched his lips closed to keep in a laugh. Rosa gave a quick gasp, then shot a chastising look at Tolomon, who shrugged innocently enough. “The things they pick up at school these days.”

“Has my mother invited you to dinner in two days?” Nathaniel asked.

“Your father, actually,” Indenuel said dryly.

“Ah,” Nathaniel said, looking confused at the tone but not touching it. “Well, I wanted to formally invite you to come well before dinner. Lunch, even.”

“I have not eaten two consecutive meals with Sara. I’m not sure I can handle it. But we will come after lunch,” Indenuel said.

Nathaniel laughed. “Alright. I shall send you a note when lunch has been sent off. Someday I'll have to teach you how to politely decline my mother.”

“That will be the day I possess my strongest power yet,” Indenuel said.

Nathaniel laughed again as someone bumped into Rosa. Indenuel was almost certain of it. He could have sworn in front of the High Elders themselves that he saw it, but he also couldn’t deny she reached out a lot farther than needed. Of that, he was equally certain. Far enough to reach for Tolomon and Nathaniel, who both instinctively took one of her hands. Indenuel could not help but think of his conversation with Inessa just moments before.

Tolomon froze, looking down at his hand which held hers before he dropped it, moving away.

“Forgive me, I did not realize I was in someone’s way,” Rosa said, looking behind her as she squeezed Nathaniel’s hand. Indenuel stared at her, his mouth slightly open.

“Are you alright?” Nathaniel asked.

Rosa nodded, placing some of her hair behind her ear as she gave the barest of glances at Tolomon before turning away. He had his back toward her, focusing on the girls instead, whispering something to them that sounded like the difference between good words and words not meant for little girls to say. But Nathaniel saw. It was apparent by the troubled look his noble upbringing could not stifle.

“We should be going,” Indenuel said. “We’ll see you in two days.”

“Yes, thank you,” Nathaniel said, the troubled look disappearing. “I shall look forward to it. Your siblings will still be here?”

“Yes, they will. They’ll plan on leaving after dinner as well,” Indenuel said.

“Wonderful. Adrian, Tomas, and Aaron will be excited to have more friends over,” Nathaniel said. “Happy spring, Indenuel.”

“Happy spring, Nathaniel, Rosa.”

Tolomon said nothing, simply giving a small bow before they left. It was dark, and the girls practically fell asleep soon after they got into the carriage, leaning against Tolomon.

Once they arrived home, Tolomon got out of the carriage before taking both exhausted girls in his arms, each one resting on one of his shoulders. Matteo walked with Indenuel, looking just as exhausted.

They walked into the house, then down the guest portion of the house. “Get some sleep. I won’t be with you much tomorrow with the beseeching, but you can still play with Baleeah and the other Oraminians,” Indenuel said.

Matteo nodded before he disappeared to his own room. Tolomon eased the girls down toward the servant women and stood right outside. Indenuel joined him, standing in silence before Indenuel could not help himself.

“I’m not the only one that believes Rosa did that on purpose, right?” Indenuel asked.

Tolomon kept his face impossible to read. “We are no longer in our youths, Indenuel. She made her choice.”

“Did she, though?” Indenuel asked.

“Yes, she did. Rosa loves Nathaniel. If, for any reason at all, she does not, and if, as you so imply, she even attempts to come to me, I will lose all my respect for her and therefore also my...” Tolomon froze, then looked at his shoes. “Nathaniel is a good man. She would be ridiculous not to stay loyal to him, and true to the feelings I know she has for him. And he for her. I am a Graduate. I have my rules I must follow. Whatever happened tonight was an accident.”

Tolomon never saw Rosa look at him. Never saw Nathaniel noticed it too. “You know she-”

“Don’t,” Tolomon said, cutting Indenuel off.

“I saw she-”

“I said don’t.” There was such a pain in Tolomon’s voice that Indenuel found his mouth already closed. Indenuel could only sigh, waiting for the girls to finish getting in their nightclothes.

“You, on the other hand, are still in your youth. You need to stay away from Inessa,” Tolomon said.

Indenuel shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. I will go to war any day now.”

“And you don’t think you will return?” Tolomon asked.

Indenuel said nothing, waiting by the door of the twins’ room. He simply didn’t see how he could survive against an army of five hundred trained soldiers. But one thing was becoming certain the more time went on. He didn’t want to die.

The door opened, and the servant women curtseyed before stepping aside. Indenuel walked in and saw Isla and Emilia in their beds.

“Good night, girls,” Indenuel said.

“Why doesn’t Tolomon ever come say goodnight to us?” Isla asked.

“It would be improper. He is not related,” Indenuel said.

“Technically neither are you,” Emilia said.

“We learned that at school,” Isla said.

“You’re our brother because your adopted into our family,” Emilia said.

Indenuel smiled, staring at the floor. “Oh, so I’m adopted into your family? Not the other way around?”

“Correct,” Isla said. “And so we adopt Tolomon, too. Tell him to come give us a kiss goodnight."

Indenuel glanced over his shoulder to see Tolomon at the doorway. “There’s more involved in an adoption than simply saying someone is adopted. How much money are the King and Queen paying for this school?”

“Just get in here, Tolomon,” Indenuel said.

He was hesitant, then took a few steps inside, still glancing at the doorway. Indenuel tucked Emilia in, kissing her forehead before moving to Isla, and doing the same before stepping away for Tolomon to do the same.

Tolomon looked unpracticed, but he dropped to one knee and leaned over to kiss Emilia’s forehead, who smiled and burrowed deeper in her pillow, practically asleep. Tolomon moved over to Isla and kissed her forehead soft and quickly.

“I love you, Tolomon,” Isla said.

Tolomon stared, then nodded. “I love you too, Isla.”

She smiled as she closed her eyes. The girls were asleep by the time Indenuel and Tolomon left their room.