A while later, after leaving the Headmistress’ office, Velaya headed towards the Great Hall for dinner.

The Archmagus had assured her that being here at Manatide Tower was the best place for her. She had cautioned that her magic was powerful and that learning to control it properly was of utmost importance - that waiting another two years until her mana pool was fully developed could only pose risks to herself and potentially others. It was a similar conversation to the one they had months ago when she had turned up at Rosemore Keep in Evertide City to recruit her.

When Velaya approached the Great Hall she could hear hundreds of voices and saw streams of students pouring over the grounds from their residences. It wasn’t quite time for dinner, but many had already made they’re way over. She kept an eye out for one of her classmates or Athone but couldn’t find them. So she entered the dining hall alone.

It was a massive space. High walls, with tall, wide windows along the western side overlooking the ocean. The sun was beginning to set and magnificent oranges and blood red hues poured into the space, bathing it in a warm golden light. The ceilings were vaulted and rose high into the air, supported by beautiful old wooden arches and beams. Hundreds of chandeliers hung down on long golden chains above the many tables and benches all lined up in neat rows down the length of the room. There had to be at least two hundred of them. They were all the same size, large and capable of holding twenty or more students. They were lined with golden plates and goblets but currently no food sat on the purple runners.

Many of the tables were already full of students, Magi and alumni alike. There was no separate dining table or area for the teachers and students. Spellcasters of different ages and years and classes all interspersed amongst each other. With everyone wearing the Tides it was hard to distinguish one group of people from another. It was a mass of grey and purple, and the buzzing of voices and action as people conversed with one another and darted back and forth from tables created a frantic energy.

Velaya stood at the threshold of the double-wide oak doors for a moment, unsure of where she should go. She scanned the room for anyone she might recognize and caught sight of a vivid green head with long pointed ears about halfway down the room.

She set off to join Lymseia and was surprised she was able to make it a quarter of the way into the room before the whispering around her started. She kept her chin high and tried to ignore the pointed looks and stares from those she passed by.

“It’s Princess Rosemore.”

“Bellaurose’s Princess.”

“I’m telling you, I saw it, she cast the ice wall.”

“Velaya Rosemore?”

“Sixteen years old, can you believe it?”

“Have you seen the size of the first-year's class? There’s barely any.”

“Got hauled off to the Archmagus’ office.”

“Must be protecting her.”

By the time she reached Lime’s table, her face felt properly flush and she considered walking past and sitting at an empty table further down.

“Velaya! Come and join us,” Lime said as she noticed Velaya’s approach and patted the bench to her left.

She was sitting at a table with Aila Senania, the chestnut skinned third-year with black locks that Velaya had met while on the pier in Moongate. Two others sat with them. A short man, with a wide belly, messy brown hair and kind face, and a tall wiry looking man with long pointed ears and long black hair.

“This is Dardan Banks of Ayradora,” Lime said of the short man sitting to her right, who bowed his head at Velaya.

“Pleasure to meet you Lady Velaya,” he said, smiling warmly at her.

“Cerwan Rol from Elyzeme,” Lime said of the other man, who reached across the table to shake her hand.

“And you already know Aila,” Lime continued as Aila smiled shyly beside Cerwan.

“Nice to meet you all,” Velaya said, taking a seat beside Lime.

Her head was starting to swim with all the names and faces. She was trained to try and remember everyone. It was good form for a monarch to know as many names of the people in the Kingdom as possible. It would serve to help strengthen their relationships and connection with them. Athone and Doriel were always better at it than she was.

“How do you all know one another?” Velaya asked.

“Dardan and I are Shamans in the third-year,” Aila said.

“I only met Lime here this afternoon. We’re both in the Druid class,” Cerwan said, his voice slow and deep.

“That was quite the commotion earlier,” Lime said cheerfully.

Velaya groaned. “Were you all there too?”

“We got stuck at the back of the crowd and couldn’t see what was going on. Just a bunch of light and dark flashes and then that massive wall of ice appeared out of nowhere,” Lime said.

“By the time we arrived there, a few Magi had shown up and were already melting it,” Aila said.

“Rumours are it was you who cast it,” Cerwan said slowly, staring at Velaya, his face full of curiosity.

“Damn right she did,” came a voice to Velaya’s side.

Otto Carson approached the table and lay a gentle hand on Velaya's shoulder, smiling down at her, a proud glint within his hazel eyes. He was followed by the other Mages of Velaya’s year.

“Mind if we join you all?” Lilian asked, her forest green eyes twinkling below her dark brows.

“Of course,” Lime said. “Come, sit.”

They all shuffled around and sat down on the benches and spent the next few minutes introducing themselves again to each other. Velaya found herself sitting between Lime and Ingrid.

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At some point during the introductions the food had appeared out of thin air. Platters and trays full of meats, fish, fruits and vegetables lined every table in the hall. There were pitchers full of water, wine, ale, and other juices. Everyone loaded their plates full of food and Velaya sat comfortably in silence eating her way through the delicious offerings and listening to the idle chatter. After finishing a plate of steak and vegetables, Velaya was drawn to a three tiered tower of sweets and jams. Her eyes caught with Emilie as the two of them reached for the desserts.

“I don’t imagine these come from Quinn’s Bakery?” Velaya said to her.

Emilie laughed. “No, I think Ma and Pa would need a bigger shop if they were to support everyone here at Manatide.”

“What a shame,” Velaya said and took a bite. It was delicious but still not a Quinn confection. “Not quite the same.”

“No, their egg to flour ratio is different,” Emilie smiled as she popped a tart into her mouth.

“Hey Velaya, what’d the Headmistress say to you and that handsome looking Paladin?” Lilian asked, leaning down the table from where she sat next to the Maellstorm twins.

“That was Athone Valreale, the Crown Prince of Ayradora,” Jessica said, sliding her glasses up her nose. She was sitting beside Zin and Otto, across from Lilian.

All eyes shot to Velaya. She put the brownie she was holding down on her plate and wiped the crumbs off her fingers before folding her hands in her lap.

“She only wished to know what happened. I believe the two caught fighting will face some disciplinary action.”

“So she didn’t ask you about the massive wall of ice that you cast in about two milliseconds?” Devon said, unable to keep the awe from his voice.

“Not really,” Velaya hedged quietly.

“The Archmagus was the one who recruited her. She probably wasn’t surprised,” Lime said as she popped a potato in her mouth. She’d elected for a second serving of entrees instead of desserts.

“She looked pissed though,” said Dardan. “I’ve been here three years now and I don’t remember seeing her like that before.”

Velaya picked at the corner of her brownie, no longer hungry for it.

“Fights happen all the time,” Aila waved offhandedly, “And Ena always looks serious.”

That caught Velaya’s attention. “She used to teach the Mages before she was Headmistress, but did either of you ever have any lessons with her?”

“Yes, we had some group lessons, like History and such. She was big into Theology,” Aila said. “She’s wicked smart. I could never keep up.”

Dardan chuckled beside her. “It’s no surprise she took over after Archmagaus Barrett left.”

“Why did Barrett step down?” Zin, the spikey blonde half elf, asked.

“No one knows,” Dardan said.

“He was teaching here for a couple hundred years and then suddenly he’s gone,” Jessica said.

“King Robert had him summoned. He serves him now,” Victor said casually from further down the table.

Velaya’s attention latched onto the former guard in King Robert Trelladain’s army. “He left Manatide to join the King’s army?”

“He didn’t really have a choice,” Victor’s twin, Devon said.

“But he’s of Manatide. I thought we didn’t get involved in world affairs?” Otto said.

“A Sentinel has no choice,” Devon said.

“Sentinel? What’s that mean?” Emilie asked, turning to look at Velaya.

“A Sentinel is a magical guardian. Their duty, above all else, is to use their magic to serve Aesor. If the King summons them, they cannot decline,” Velaya said uncomfortably, aware of everyone staring at her.

“I thought that was just a myth,” Lime said, shaking her head in disbelief.

“The Sentinels haven’t been summoned in many years. Not even during my parent’s time,” Cerwan said, “And that’s saying something - they’re over four hundred years old.”

“Which begs the question, what the hell is going on in Aesor?” Rose said from the far end of the table.

The students each looked to one another before their eyes landed back on Velaya. She hesitated, unsure of how much she should say. A lot of what she knew was classified to the Kingdom’s war councils, and Archmagus Ena’s warning earlier to keep a low profile was still fresh in her mind. How much could she share about what would draw out a long forgotten magical protector, to be summoned away from his two-hundred year reign as Archmagus of Manatide Tower?

“Corruption is sweeping across Aesor,” she said finally, “It’s turning blood from red to black, tainting and twisting the animals of the world. If I had to guess, that’s what Archmagus Barrett is responsible for investigating.”

Rose frowned, clearly displeased by Velaya’s tiptoeing. “Well we know that. Strange beasts, consumed by the desire to kill, coming down from mountains to prey on farmers and all that. But what’s the cause of it?”

To that, Velaya did not know. What she did know was that this Corruption was far worse than what the leaders of the four Kingdoms were willing to admit. So far they had agreed to keep the most disturbing information contained and Velaya wasn’t about to risk addressing it now.

“Well, whatever it is,” Dardan said, at Velaya’s silence, “if there’s anyone that can figure it out, it’s Barrett.”

The conversations turned lighter after that as they moved onto other subjects, such as what their classes may involve, what the breakdown of students per Kingdom was, or a particularly amusing one about how many books were actually at Manatide Tower and if it were even possible to read them all. They all concluded that only an elf would be capable of it.

When they left the Great Hall, the sun had fully set and thousands of stars winked down at them as they crossed the school grounds towards their dormitories, saying goodbye to Aila and Dardan when they turned off the path for the third-year’s residence. All traces of the damage from the altercation between Max and Zyler earlier had been resolved. By the time they got back to the Mage building Velaya was exhausted, having barely slept the night before. She bid her classmates goodnight and went up to her room.

Moonlight poured into the window and a lit torch on the wall near the door coated the space in a fiery blue glow. She opened the wardrobe and was pleasantly surprised to find a fully stocked closet of clothes - all in standard grey and whites. After using the small washing room she dressed in one of the grey nightgowns. She caught sight of herself in a mirror. Her blue eyes were framed by a subtle deep purple and a few stubborn strands of her long blond hair had come undone from her braid and fell across her face. She looked decidedly not very Princesslike.

Smiling, she left the washroom, deposited her dirty clothes on the wardrobe floor and went to inspect the desk. There were a few drawers down the side and she opened each one. The top was full of quills and inks, the middle with various parchments and empty scrolls, and the bottom one was full of candle waxes, a few holders, and some matches.

She pulled out a few papers, a quill and ink pot and set it on the desk, intending to write a letter to Doriel. She then grabbed one of the waxes and placed it within the holder and set it next to the paper and quill.

Staring at the wick, she mentally reached inside her, finding her mana pool which began to ripple with her touch. Focusing her efforts on drawing from fire she pressed her finger to the wax and a red hot spark of flame sprung from her fingertip and caught the wick. She then turned to face the torch on the wall. Once again she tapped into her mana pool and reached to draw on the Elements and this time a few droplets of water leapt through the air from her outstretched hand and extinguished the torch.

She smiled again. In the grand scheme of things, it was simple magic, lighting a candle and drawing water to snuff it out. But it still took a level of precision to do so without setting the room ablaze. One of her first magical tutors had spent hours with her lighting and dousing candles until she could practically do it in her sleep. The first few attempts had been disastrous, where she’d set the bookshelf behind the candle ablaze, and followed that by drowning the carpet in waves of water.

She sat down at the desk and wrote Doriel a quick letter, outlining the events of the day. She wasn’t sure when she’d get a chance to send it to him so when she finished she tucked it into the nightstand drawer and then crawled into bed.

It was surprisingly comfortable and Velaya only remembered hearing a few soft voices of her classmates retiring to their rooms before she drifted off to sleep.