It had been a week and Vienna's roommates and her were having dinner when Ravven came up to our table.

Sweaty from training, the girls wrinkled their noses.

Vienna looked up and offered him a smile, “Long afternoon of training?”

Vienna was late to dinner as well, Rhosyn and Leora were almost done with their meals when she arrived.

She had been showing Professor Soren how to send messages through the sprouts. He was surprisingly clumsy at it for someone who was used to working with fine details but he got the hang of it by the end.

Zia was purposely eating extra slowly beside Vienna not wanting to leave her behind while the others got ready to stand and go back to the dormitories when Ravven arrived.

“Ladies, this is Ravven. A friend.”

She watched as Ravven’s tired eyes lit up, his obsidian sparkling in the low light of the hearth dining space.

“Your Highness.” Rhosyn bowed her head while Leora scrambled to do the same. Zia looked at him with a cocked head her eyes roaming over his features and Vienna couldn’t help but wonder what was going on in that curly head of hers.

Ravven waved away the courtesy, “Please none of that, we are at the Academy. I am merely a knight in training here, and not a very good one at that.”

“Have you eaten?”

Ravven shook his head and Vienna pointed to a seat across from her, “Go get yourself some food and come sit. You must be famished.”

He winced and ran his fingers through his hair before nodding and trotting over to where the hearth’s banquet-style food still sat waiting to be ladled.

The warm stew in Vienna’s mouth made her feel cozy.

She looked over to her side to see Zia’s eyes trailing after Ravven. A smile came to her lips wondering if perhaps Zia liked him.

“He’s the one that came looking for you, wasn’t he?” Zia whispered in her ear.

“Yes, that’s what I was told.” It was harder to explain she’d seen it in a dream, well a connected message of sorts through the Old One back home.

“He’s different from what I thought,” Zia mumbled.

Vienna hummed into her tea, “How did you imagine him?”

Zia shrugged, “Taller.”

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Soon it was the harvest, an event celebrated city-wide in the Capital.

Unlike Vienna’s Old Earth customs, the harvest wasn’t rithe with religious connotations. It was merely a large market with everyone sharing their first fruits. A farmers market where everyone showed off their best harvest.

The Academy opened its doors on this day. Showcasing their students' achievements, especially in Land Okren studies.

The cobblestone streets of the Capital were full of laughter, talking, and music.

The minstrels that came to the city came from far and wide, to play and make people feel joy.

Dancing in the square brought memories of Ezzie’s wedding, a small bittersweet wave passed through her before Zia grabbed hold of her and spun her around. A laughter bubbled from Vienna’s throat, as the near jig had their feet kicking up their arms around the shoulders of their fellow villager. At one point Zia’s wings unfurled sparkling in the light, they changed hands and Vienna laughed as she saw Zia and Ravven begin dancing. At first, Zia was stiff unsure around him but then as he spun her around, her giggles filled the air. They came to the center clapped their hands and then spun out with their partner.

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“Hello, little sister.” A familiar voice had Vienna looking up to see familiar dancing russet eyes.

“Atlas?”

He let out a joyous laugh, his fiery curls thrown back, “I still love hearing my name.”

The music changed up and Vienna and Atlas were partners as they weaved in between the other couples, their gazes drifting to Zia and Ravven.

“They look swell dancing together.” Atlas’s gaze looked at the two. “How long do you think it will take for them to fall?”

Vienna shook her head as he twirled her under his arm, “We’ll see.”

“No matchmaking, Bhelfl'ōr?”

“None, intentionally done, but if they end up together well…” She shrugged.

“You won’t be angry.” He raised an orange eyebrow.

“Why would I be angry?”

“You and he weren’t...?”

Vienna let out a giggling laughter, “Oh no, not us.”

The beat changed and they changed partners. Zia ended up with a stranger, Ravven with Leora who’d joined and Vienna looked up to find a pair of violet eyes that seemed familiar.

At her look of confusion, a smile came upon a pair of lips, and the arms of the gentleman pulled her into the twirling dancing.

“Don’t remember me, Lady Vienna?”

His voice sounded familiar and then when she glimpsed at his purple hair swishing behind tied in a blue ribbon, she remembered.

“Professor?”

He gave a nod with a secretive smile, “Just Ralph Silvaine today, Lady Vienna.”

They spun around the circle of folk, the silence between them not oppressive especially when Vienna was trying to follow some of the new steps some of her neighboring dancers were trying to incorporate.

“How is academy life suiting you?”

The dance had just sped up again, they changed hands with the dancing pair at their sides before coming back around to each other again.

“It fares well.” Vienna was starting to feel a little out of breath, she’d been dancing for quite a while now. As if noticing her predicament, her dancing partner took her hand and drew her to a nearby stand giving out free samples of their fine cider. He got a cup for her and one for himself before they stood to the side watching the dancers weave through one another.

“No problems with any of the students?”

She raised an eyebrow, and the man raised his hand in a gesture of peace.

“Merely doing my duty, young miss.”

“None that needs telling.”

He nodded, “I see.”

His gaze looked over the crowds and she looked up at his mysterious stature. Vienna did think perhaps he did understand, which slightly unnerved her.

With a bow of her head toward the professor, “I must return to my companions.”

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Later in the evening, the Harvest Day ended with somewhat of a talent show.

The winner of it got to spend either a night at the Academy or the Fortress along with a basket of goodies from the best of the merchants of the Capital.

“You are not entering?” Ravven spoke from Vienna’s side and she shook her head.

“What talent do I have that could be showcased? No, I’d much rather watch.” Vienna glanced at Ravven and watched his facial features as she spoke next, “But I believe Zia is joining the contest.”

“Zia?” His cheeks were still flushed from dancing, so she couldn’t tell if they reddened further.

“How sad you forgot her name so quickly after dancing the afternoon at her side.” This time there was no question that he blushed from her teasing.

“What…” he cleared his throat when his voice came out too low, “What kind of talent will she be performing?”

“I guess you’ll just have to stay to the end to see.”

And they did but not until first having to stand through a very long rendition of a victory song by Adeena Nesrin herself. She had a pretty sweet voice not made for the boisterous sound of the song she was singing, but she still got the town to join her in singing the first couple of stanzas until the rest began to tire as the song went on and on. When she at last finished Vienna didn’t think she was wrong in seeing several shoulders relaxing in relief.

When the announcer announced there was one last singer, the audience could be seen almost all shifting on their feet, trying to decide when they could leave.

Then Zia began to sing, her voice soft and melodious. She sang an old ballad from before the Dark Age, of before when the Porteacs had been open. An old Elem song about home and Vienna glanced around to see the gazes that once were shifting to escape were now fixed on the girl at the center of the stage. Singing with her heart on a song. Then it ended and no one sighed in relief instead wistful looks appeared on all the faces.

“Well, I know who I wish to win.”

Ravven came close.

Vienna noticed he looked nervous when the results were spoken aloud.

Adeena got an honorable mention but Zia won the contest. Vienna and Ravven exploded in applause as they saw a bashful Zia receive the reward basket of goods and the pass to tour the fortress.

“You should show Zia the library when she comes for her visit.”

Ravven looked at Vienna with a small smile, “Do you think she’d like it?”

Vienna smiled, “You could ask her, you know.”

Her gaze drifted from Zia’s features to that of Adeena’s who looked livid.

Vienna had a bad feeling.