Reborn From the Cosmos

Miniarc-Villains-05

Despite leaving the danger of the broken city behind, Samuel was a ball of tension as his procession rode through the hall. The shutters covering the window of the carriage were wide open so his eyes could scan the surroundings for any sign that the conflict had spread to the school. Reality defied his fears, but it did nothing to dispel the lingering dread that clung to his heart. His large frame resembled a spring, wound tight until he sprang out of the vehicle once they reached the Gold Dorm.

 The Hall prided itself on its ideal of equality, but it was impossible to achieve in full. Dunwayne’s intentions had opened doors and shattered barriers, but one man couldn’t change the kingdom and the centuries of tradition behind it.

Outside the school, inequality was a fact of existence. It was also essential, woven into the fabric of society. To forbid it in its entirety would have meant the Harvest Hero’s dream never reaching the floating island; his eccentricities were allowed so long as the powerful didn’t view it as a threat.

They made demands of the Hall. While the Bronze Dorm made do with quarters the size of a holding cell for criminals and furnished with the minimum, the acolytes of the Gold Dorm had attached rooms and plush rugs. They ate better food, drank better wine, and their halls were decorated with expensive art. The acolytes of lesser station cursed them as useless luxuries but there was a purpose beyond the proclivities of the rich.

The heirs had duties beyond bettering themselves. Many of them being in one place offered an opportunity the patriarchs behind them separated by vast distances would never have. An acolyte of the Gold Dorm inviting someone to their rooms or sharing a meal could send ripples throughout the kingdom. Such things had rules and required the proper props.

So long as Harvest was governed by nobles, it would be impossible to shake the expectations that came with them.

Samuel thought of the Hall fondly. His first year, he was nervous being beyond the reach of his father and the visceral authority of the crown. All his life, he’d been drilled with the knowledge that his life had inherent value; by that same measure, there was value in his death. However, his fears of a crowd of commoners ready to take out all the misfortunes of their lives on his person amounted to nothing. Wherever he went, he was a prince and carried the threat of every soldier the crown could muster with him.

Once he was released from his fear, he found he enjoyed being far from the shadow of his elder brother. In some ways, the Hall was more of a home than the capital. It was a habit of his to stand just beyond the doorway when he returned for another year, taking a few quiet moments to shed the frustrations of the capital and embrace his identity as  an acolyte.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

One he forsook as he rushed toward the on-duty servant that sat behind at a small desk next to the stairs that led to the rooms. The servants of the Gold Dorm weren’t intimidated by those in power, having built an immunity from exposure,  but the wide-eyed prince moving with purpose startled the young woman into straightening with a snap.

“You! Tell me if Cecilia Rosefield is in residence.”

“I’m sorry, your highness. The rules—”

“I know the saints damned rules!” Seeing the servant’s poor attempt to hide her unease, the prince forced himself to calm down, forcefully exhaling through his nose. “I’m not asking you to share her room or if she’s present. Merely if she has registered for a room this year. I arrived today. Surely you understand?”

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The servant’s expression softened. “…I do. One moment, please.”

The servant bent over. Samuel heard the click of a lock being opened and held back the curiosity that wanted to peek over the desk to see whatever was so precious. A finger tapped his leg as he stretched his meagre patience. It was a struggle not to demand the woman move faster. It felt like a small eternity before she straightened.

“Lady Rosefield has been assigned a room.”

The tension in the prince’s body finally eased. If Cecilia registered after the tragedy of the city, it meant she was alive. If she did before, it meant she had a safe place to retreat to and she was too sensible to stand in the way of trouble. She was safe. “Thank you.” He quickly slipped a silver crown from his purse and passed it over, the woman accepting it with a bowed head. “I would like a message sent to her.”

“Of course.” The servant reached for one of three bells that sat at the edge of the desk, ringing it twice. A young woman approached from the direction of the dining room, bowing clumsily before him. “She will take it.”

“Inform her that I have arrived and would enjoy her company for dinner tonight. I will be in the dining room in…half a bell.” His body wanted to rest on a fine bed for the first time in his weeks, but his troubled mind was far from settling. Better to tend to his heart that wanted desperately wanted to see her; his unrequited love aside, it was normal for friends to want to embrace one another after learning one could have died.

The girl gave him another clumsy bow before hurrying off, bounding up the stairs with the energy of a dog made to fetch.

“Would you like to register for a room?”

“Yes. Preferably on the fourth floor.” The higher the floor, the more spacious the rooms. He didn’t have many belongings but it wouldn’t be a good look for a prince to be beneath anyone.

“That won’t be a problem. There are many vacancies.”

“Hm?” Samuel was worried when he made his request because he arrived much later than planned. The rooms on the fourth floor were popular and, while the students couldn’t ignore his family, the Hall wouldn’t cater to him. “Has something happened?”

When the servant hesitated, he handed over three more silver. “Many students left after the trouble in the city. None of the dorms are full.”

Samuel almost warned the woman against lying to him. She didn’t seem dishonest, but her words were unbelievable. The Hall had to refuse hundreds, if not thousands, of potential students every year. The dorms, especially the cost-effective Bronze Dorm, were always packed.

“Why?” He understood being afraid of whatever might be brewing in the city but surely they didn’t doubt their safety while in the Hall. The only safer place in the kingdom was the palace.

The servant frowned. “There has been concerns about safety.”

“Are there concerns about the guilds’ conflict spreading?”

She shook her head. “The students are concerned that they will be coerced into fighting to take back the city.”

“The Grandmaster would never.” The Harvest Hero’s neutrality was almost as famous as his many accomplishments. He hadn’t participated in anything beyond the school in years.

“None doubt the Grandmaster’s stance. They are concerned that the crown will sanction their families if they are called upon and refuse. The Hall has little political sway outside of the city and Quest is…”

Samuel grunted. “So, the heirs are waiting to see how the situation develops. What of the commoners?” He would have thought that they would be eager for a chance to earn glory and money.

“Some fear death. Some protest the Hall’s actions, or the lack thereof.”

“They want to fight?”

“Yes, and they denounce the Grandmaster for not taking more direct action.”

The prince shook his head, knowing the kingdom would be doomed if not for nobles. He thought a serious concern lurked behind the unusual vacancies, but it was just inflamed hearts. He didn’t know how the city would fare in the future, but, once the worst of the hysteria faded, the dorms would be full again. Before the year ended, he suspected. As soon as the fools realized there was nothing they could do. Whatever was going on in Quest, masters and their peers would handle it.

“Hmph. I will need someone to collect my luggage.”

“Of course, your highness.”