CHAPTER 28: PATHWAYS AND PLOTS 6

Prefect Alan led Aegis through marble corridors. His smug expression made her want to punch him.

[Bet he thinks he’s hot shit for dragging in a scholarship student.]

The guards flanked her like she might bolt. Fair assumption, honestly.

They stopped at heavy oak doors. Brass plaques read:

Disciplinary Committee Chamber

"Inside." Alan’s voice dripped satisfaction.

The chamber wasn’t what Aegis expected. No grand courtroom. Just a medium-sized room with five professors behind a curved desk. Off to the side, Varyn lounged against the wall. Talia stood beside him, arms crossed, yellow eyes gleaming.

[Talia, you loveable cunt.]

"Miss Starcaller." Professor Whittles, the lead committee member, shuffled papers. "You stand accused of academic misconduct."

"By who?"

"That’s not relevant."

Aegis glanced at Varyn. He smirked.

[Sure. Not relevant.]

"The evidence?" Whittles continued. "Perfect scores across all entrance exams. Unprecedented for a commoner with no formal education."

"So I’m guilty of being smart?"

"You’re guilty of cheating." Talia stepped forward. "No scholarship rat scores perfectly without help."

"Princess Stone, please remain silent unless addressed." Whittles sighed. "Though her point stands. Can you explain your scores?"

Aegis straightened her uniform.

"I can do better than explain. Test me."

"Pardon?"

"Right here. Right now. All three categories." She spread her arms. "Combat, magic, arts. I’ll prove I earned those scores."

The committee exchanged glances. They’d expected groveling, not confidence.

"That’s... irregular."

"So is accusing me without evidence." Aegis tilted her head. "Unless you’re admitting this is just noble bias?"

Varyn’s smirk faltered. Talia’s eyes narrowed.

"Very well." Whittles nodded. "Princess Stone, since you’re so invested in this case, perhaps you’d assist with the combat portion?"

Talia grinned.

"Gladly."

She grabbed a practice sword from the wall rack. The wood gleamed with reinforcement runes.

"Standard rules?" Talia tested the blade’s weight. "First to three hits?"

"That seems fair." Whittles gestured to Aegis. "Miss Starcaller?"

[She’s got Power 47 to my 6. In a fair fight, she would absolutely obliterate me. No question about it.]

Aegis selected her own sword. Light. Balanced. Completely inadequate against Talia’s skill.

[But, I don’t intend for this to be a fair fight.]

They faced each other in the cleared center. Talia’s stance was perfect. Years of noble training condensed into elegant lethality.

"Ready to confess?" Talia asked.

"Ready to lose?"

"Begin!"

Talia moved like lightning. Her sword whistled through air where Aegis had been standing.

[Aether Step]

Aegis blinked three meters left. Talia’s eyes widened.

"What—"

Aegis’s wooden blade tapped Talia’s ribs.

"One point."

The room went silent. Even Varyn straightened from his slouch.

"Lucky dodge." Talia reset her stance. "Won’t work twice."

They circled each other. Talia feinted left, struck right. A combination that would’ve destroyed most first-years.

[Aether Step]

Aegis appeared behind her. Tap on the shoulder.

"Two points."

"Impossible!" Talia spun, slashing wildly.

Too slow. Aegis had already stepped away.

"Is it?"

Talia’s face flushed. She abandoned technique for speed, launching a flurry of strikes. Any one would’ve ended the match.

If they’d connected.

[Aether Step]

This time Aegis appeared at Talia’s side. Instead of striking immediately, she leaned close.

"Your form’s slipping, Princess."

Talia jerked away. Right into Aegis’s waiting sword tap.

"Three points."

The practice sword clattered from Talia’s nerveless fingers. She stared at Aegis like she’d grown a second head.

"How did you—"

"Skill." Aegis winked. "Speaking of which, ready for round two, professors?"

Whittles cleared his throat.

"That was... illuminating. Prefect Alan, please escort Miss Starcaller to the magical testing chamber."

As the guards moved to flank her again, Aegis turned back to Talia. The princess still knelt on the floor, breathing hard.

Aegis blew her a kiss.

Talia’s face went from pink to crimson.

[Hook, line, and sinker.]

"This way." Alan’s smugness had evaporated.

"Lead on." Aegis twirled her practice sword before returning it to the rack.

Behind her, she heard Varyn whispering urgently to Talia. The princess wasn’t responding.

[Good. Let her stew on that for a while.]

The magical testing chamber awaited. But Aegis wasn’t worried.

After all, she’d just made Princess Talia Stone look like a first-day novice.

Everything else would be easy.

---

{Talia}

Talia couldn’t believe it. No matter how many times the images flashed through her mind, she couldn’t believe it.

She walked through Rosevale’s gardens, fists clenched at her sides.

[How? HOW?]

The fight, if it could be called that, replayed again. Aegis standing there with that infuriating smirk. The way she’d moved. No, not moved. Vanished. Reappeared. Like some kind of—

"Impossible," Talia muttered.

Three weeks ago, Aegis Starcaller couldn’t dodge a training dummy. Talia had watched her stumble through combat basics from afar, with that muscle-headed Lionheart. Pathetic form. Zero technique. As much combat prowess as a newborn kitten.

And today?

Today, she’d made Talia look like a fool.

"Princess?"

Talia spun. A passing noble flinched at her expression.

"What?"

"N-nothing, Your Highness. You just seemed—"

"Leave."

The noble scurried away. Good. Talia needed to think.

She turned toward the testing chambers. Through the windows, she caught a glimpse of Aegis’s magical examination. The commoner stood in the center, hands raised. Tangible whips of pure aether danced around her like serpents.

The committee ate it up. Professor Whittles actually applauded.

[Since when can she manipulate raw aether? That’s advanced magic!]

"Your Highness."

This time, Talia recognized the voice. Her personal maid, Almira, approached with a curtsey.

"What?"

"Your mother’s council meeting begins in ten minutes. She requested your presence."

Talia’s jaw tightened. Of course. Mother’s weekly "lessons in governance." Where Talia sat silent and perfect while nobles droned about tax rates.

"Fine."

She followed Almira inside, mind still churning. Aegis’s smug face haunted every step.

---

The council chamber smelled like old parchment.

Twelve nobles sat around the mahogany table, her mother at the head. Lady Evangeline Stone, Talia’s mom, commanded the room without effort.

"Talia. Punctual as always. Sit."

Talia took her designated seat. Back straight. Hands folded. Expression neutral. The perfect princess pose she’d mastered at age seven.

Lord Rothwin droned on and on and on and on and on about grain shipments.

Talia nodded at appropriate intervals. Made eye contact with speakers. Projected engaged interest while her mind screamed.

[Aegis blew me a kiss. A KISS. After humiliating me.]

"—eastern provinces require immediate attention. Princess Talia, your thoughts?"

Silence.

Everyone stared at her.

"I..." Talia’s mind blanked. "Could you repeat the question?"

Her mother’s eyes narrowed. Just slightly. Anyone else would’ve missed it.

"Lord Rothwin asked about the eastern drought relief proposals. You’ve reviewed the documents?"

"Yes, of course." Talia scrambled for words. Any words. "The... irrigation channels from the Valdris River could be expanded... With proper funding."

Generic. Safe. Barely adequate.

"Indeed." Her mother’s tone could’ve frozen fire. "We’ll discuss your attention to detail later."

The meeting continued. Talia forced herself to focus. Trade agreements. Border disputes. Noble marriage proposals that danced around her own inevitable engagement.

But Aegis’s face kept intruding. That confident grin. The casual way she’d dodged every attack. The kiss.

[I’ll destroy her. Somehow.]

"—concludes today’s session." Her mother stood. "Talia. Remain."

The nobles filed out. The door clicked shut.

"Explain."

One word. Talia’s spine stiffened.

"I apologize. My mind wandered—"

"Obviously." Evangeline circled the table. "You stammered. Hesitated. Showed weakness."

"It won’t happen again."

"See that it doesn’t." Her mother stopped behind Talia’s chair. "What distracted you?"

Talia’s hands clenched under the table.

"Academy matters."

"The Starcaller girl?"

[How does she—of course she knows.]

"S-She cheated during testing. Used some kind of movement technique—"

"She outmaneuvered you." Not a question. "A commoner with three weeks of training defeated the Stone heiress in public combat."

"She had help. Someone must have—"

"Excuses?" Evangeline’s hand settled on Talia’s shoulder. Not comforting. Warning. "I raised you better."

"No excuses." Talia straightened. "I underestimated her. It won’t happen again."

"Good. Because House Stone does not lose to commoners." The hand lifted. "You’re dismissed."

Talia stood. Curtsied. Headed for the door.

"Talia?"

She paused.

"Next time you face this girl, win. Or don’t bother coming home."

"Yes, Mother."

---

Talia returned to her dorm in a daze. Her roommate—some minor noble whose name she’d never bothered learning—wisely stayed quiet.

She stripped off her uniform. Changed into training clothes. Her mother’s words echoed with each movement.

[Win or don’t come home.]

Fine. She’d win. Whatever it took.