Káel awkwardly opened the door with his left hand, the familiar face on the other side only greetable with a grimace.

          It was Horus, slicked back hair and a dressy uniform squeezing his form to somehow make him look more posh than usual.

          Káel gave the connection some time to process, juggling between his arrival being a coincidence or the product of past actions. 

          Was he the one Vera was hiding from?

          Káel bit his cheeks harder, trying the think over the thought as a smile forced its way onto his face. But all it took was replaying the sight of Vera wiggling under the frame and he was done. The laughter flooded through his tensed muscles, unable to escape his clenched jaw and falling out his nose in a full forced snort. 

          Horus backed away in disgust at the display, Káel's laughter decimated with a string of coughs as he winced at the spearing pain in his ribs. 

          "Sorry," Káel choked, his dried throat burning as he clenched the pounding pain in his ribs. "Had to sneeze but I didn't want to. By the way, I didn't mean to put you all through a frantic search last night. Really didn't think anyone would care.

          "Care isn't the appropriate word, it's a legal matter, but I suppose if you die from your own stupidity the school wouldn't be held responsible." Horus relaxed, nodding his chin for Káel to get on with it. "Tell me, what happened?"

          Káel gave Horus a superficial smile, flashing his wrapped up arms. "Well, I was minding my own business when I was attacked by a mob of unforgiving shingles."

          Horus cocked an eyebrow, suppressing an eye roll as his voice deadpanned. "Never mind, I do not have time for casual chatter with you. Is Vera Strylaz in there?"

          An evil smirk spread across Káel's face. "No, but I'll pass on the love letter."

          "Your humour is yet again in poor taste, I would never do something so silly. You have no useful information, so I shall make my leave," Horus growled, his stern tone melting with a strangely childish smile as he leaned in to whisper. "I hope the bed is comfortable."

          Káel's mouth hung in confused silence, his eyebrows slowly rising at the words that had come right out of Horus' mouth. "Uhh..."

          Horus rolled his eyes, idiot heavy in the air as he made his leave and Káel slowly closed the door. He immediately locked gazes with Phantom, the man's reaction to the spectacle unclear until he spoke. "Maybe he meant Firehead."

          "I hope so."

          "If only it was legal to punch his smug little face," Vera huffed, her cheek awkwardly squishing into view as she glared at the door.

          "In all fairness, I did give it a good whack already."

          "It obviously wasn't hard enough," Vera growled. 

          "Was he the one you're hiding from though?" Káel whispered, grinning as Vera's face squished into a disgusted glare. "Did he ask you out and you're scared of turning him down?"

          "No, he's not the person," Vera whispered, her voice sharp enough to make Káel cringe. "Keep talking like that and I'll make your hair even darker."

          She smiled as Káel paled, slipping her face back under the frame as a knock sounded on the door again.

          This time Káel stared at the door with an irritated frown, the fist drumming down on it rattling the thin wood in its frame until he ripped it open. "I told you she's not-" Káel stopped with a weird hiccup, eye to eye with a fully plated soldier that slowly lowered their fist with a chiseled frown. "Wrong... room...?"

          The man was unphased by his words, squeezing his chain mailed hand with a strange and brief salute before shifting his mass away from the doorframe, four hulking statues for guards perfectly squaring off Lady Samanthra and a bulky man that couldn't quite reach her towering height. 

          The words dried in Káel's throat as he didn't even register the fish eyed stare he was giving the man, Samanthra's smile twitching anxiously at the spectacle.

          "Your audience has been summoned by His Majesty Cilvren Acadrius," The guard by the door boomed, Káel still recovering from his frightful volume as he pointed at the expensively dressed man. "Name and title."

          Káel shifted his gaze to the man again, his emerald eyes playing the dread in his chest like a harp. The nose, the complexion, the way his face naturally rested into a half dead scowl. It all screamed Vera. 

          The guard cleared his throat, ushering for Káel to get a move on in the awkward silence he'd produced. But instead of even giving his name, Káel struggled to lock gazes with Cilvren again, his mouth cracking open. "Uhhh..."

          "That is Káel Aeric, he has no titles," Samanthra cut in, her save relaxing Káel's stiff shoulders, but twisting at the displeasure on her face. "He is also a first year."

          "I'm sure he can answer for himself," Cilvren replied, his leveled voice somehow carrying through the room with a growl of authority. He gave Káel a quick skim, the weight of his gaze holding an undressing all the secrets Káel was trying to hide. 

          The worst one being that his daughter was hiding under Káel's bed right now.

          "Káel sounds rather Garaean," Cilvren said, the guards perfectly matching his steps as he came closer to the door. He seemed to take the most interest in skimming Káel's hair, the second greatest point of intrigue being the creamy collar of a button up Ms. Metuals had tossed him, reasoning it was a rag enough for blood to easily wash off until his scrapes closed.

          "You could pretend to faint," Phantom whispered, keeping out of the man's oppressing shadow with a snicker. "Nobody's stopping you."

          "He's from the Mizer Islands father," a voice called, Mariel bouncing into view with a getup a touch fancier than her usual summer dresses. She resisted the urge to try a couple healing spells when she saw the state Káel was in, instead seizing her father's attention with a warm smile. "I would assume his name was changed when he took refuge in the empire. It's not uncommon."

          "That's quite the trick," Cilvren said, flicking Káel an amused smile. "You even have my daughter answering your questions." 

          "Your other daughter is in the room your majesty." Horus replied, forcing Káel to crane his head around the monarch to realise he'd been completely blocking out the short elite. His panic was scooped up by Horus' taunting smile, the bed behind him moaning as Vera squirmed her butt out first with a groan.

          "Got it!" Vera's voice ripped from behind him, her footsteps drumming to catch Káel's side as she held up a mini dagger. "Boy that was really stuck in the- oh!" She stared at her father with a stage of surprise, lips forced into a stiff smile as she drew out her hollowed voice and gave her father a hug. "Father! I wasn't expecting you so soon!"

          Káel gave the scene a bit of space, Vera still clutching the glinting blade as she wrapped her arms around the man and kissed his cheek. In the midst of embrace she locked on to Horus, pointing the blade at him with a small swiping motion as he stood in silent amusement at the spectacle. 

           When Cilvren finished, his scowl warmed at the sight of Vera, the cold claws of formality melting as he waved the guards back a couple feet. "I thought I'd come in a day earlier and surprise you. Beautiful dress by the way."

          Vera forced a chuckle out of her throat as she motioned to herself. "Well, surprised!" She grinned as Cilvren eyed the dagger, dropping it in Káel's good hand before wrapping her arm around his shoulder. "He keeps one under his pillow. There's no such thing as-"

          "Being too prepared," Cilvren finished, now wearing a smile for Káel as his gaze still lingered on his collar. "Tell me, are you the one my daughter got into a little bit of a scrap with? Or are the training programs here that harsh?"

          "Oh no, he got those on his own time," Samanthra cut in, giving Káel an extremely unwelcoming stare as he tried to shoo Puff away from peeking out the doorframe.

          "Well, I'll stop hounding you down with questions, seeing as no one will allow you to answer them," Cilvren chimed, slapping his hand across Káel's shoulder to firmly squeeze it. "Don't feel like I'm above you at all. Any friend of my daughter is a friend of mine."

          "Thanks," Káel blurted, pressing his lips in panicked silence before dipping his head as the guards ripped glares into him. "Your majesty...?"

          Cilvren waved for the guard to stand down. "No need for trivial titles either, Cilvren will do." A squint tensed Káel's shoulders, his spine stiffening with every icy syllable in the king's voice. "I must say your face is one I swear I've seen before."

          "Well, looks can be deceiving father," Vera chimed in, her arm squeezing Káel in closer as she tugged down part of his collar to flash his neck to the king. "See?"

          Every flake of ice in Cilvren's presence warmed with strange relief at the sight of Káel's bare neck, a small nod of gratitude tacked to to his now genuine smile. "Apologies, there are times when paranoia seems to best me. I'm sure my daughter has told you quite the array of 'imaginative' tales about me."

          Káel smiled. "Not yet sir, but I'm sure they're all quite wonderful."

          Cilvren nodded. "I admire your respect..." He motioned his hand, trying to catch Káel's name that had completely slipped from his mind. After a couple seconds he glossed over the spectacle, redirecting the conversation back to Vera. "How has Horus been my little torch?"

          "Oh father," Vera said, her nose scrunching as she flashed her teeth to smile with a little wave. "I've met dragon dung that's more attractive."

          Cilvren's smile dropped, awkwardly clearing his throat as he tossed Káel a cautious glance. "Perhaps we can have this conversation on the way to your room."

          "Yes but the tour might be a little rushed, I volunteered to change Káel's banadges. He's been bleeding through them like a wet cloth."

          "I'm sure Mariel could help with that. You're not of much use without any healing spells." 

          "I'm sure my sister has better things to do as well," Vera chimed, grabbing her father's arm to coax him from the doorway. "Would you like to hear about that boy I roughed up? He was keeping quite the secret, so I convinced him to let it slip."

          "And did it work?"

          Vera shrugged as they vanished past the door frame. "To an extent."

          Káel moved back to the corner of his bed, tossing the random blade to his side as he eyed Lady Samanthra curiously. She had caught the door before it closed, her intentions to follow the monarch and his family dead. With a soft sigh she motioned to the small chair tucked beside the bed. "May I?"

          "Go ahead, it's your school," Káel retorted, his voice as bitter as his face as Lady Samanthra seated herself. "I'm in trouble?"

          "Well... yes, but that's not why I'm here," Samanthra said, her smile never faltering against the ice in Káel's eyes. "I owe you an apology and would like to pay up."

          Káel rose slightly at the words, angling himself to face her as Puff nestled into his lap.

          She smiled at the sight, fixing her slipping glasses before clearing her throat. "I remember the first day you came into my office looking like a cat on a boat. You had just been ripped from your home without a word to why, ready to even turn back time if it gave you the chance to do it all differently."

          Káel shrugged, a bounce of sarcasm touching his tone. "Do you have any spells like that?"

          Samanthra shook her head. "One cannot manipulate something that simply doesn't exist." She chuckled as Káel clicked his tongue in disappointment. "But, because of the boy that was pulled into my office, I saw a point in lying. That hope you feel when you can fix things is true magic, not because of whether or not you achieve the end result, but because of the way it distracts people with a goal. A goal, that you never take your eyes off of. A goal that demands you forward facing attention and pulls you along. And before you know it you may reach that goal, only to realise that you've changed in your journey." A smile pricked her cheeks as she sifted around in her pocket, freeing a small bundle of bright red cloth. "Káel, you may not like it now, but you needed that hope. It made you friends and a home in place of the one you lost, and I hope that even without it you can keep those things."

           Káel accepted the strange gift, feeling a few hardened edges poking through the silky disguise. 

          "Despite Mr. Peterson's complete lack of effort in cleaning up his mess, I found something that won't necessarily solve your problem, but it may help," Samanthra said, watching Káel unwind the cloth for a silver amulet to fall into his palm. "That is a Paravelt, one of the many inventions my homeland was renowned for. With the help of studying ancient Novan technology we were able to make a device that could achieve trans world transportation for up to twelve hours. Unfortunately, it's not very convenient to use, there are few rituals powerful enough to keep its spell going and because of this few individuals have the means to use them."

          "My uncle," Káel muttered, turning the small slab of engraved metal in his palm.

          "Is one of few," Samanthra replied, fixing her robes before rising from the chair. "I can only guess that he is still pondering over explaining himself to you, but he will have no choice but to reveal himself at the end of your term here. You could convince him to help you with that Paravelt when the time comes."

          Káel dipped his head respectfully as Samanthra tucked the chair back, lifting the Paravelt with a grateful smile. "Thanks for the apology."

          "Just looking out for my students dear."

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Quality Quip #36:

'Never ruin an apology with an excuse.'

~Anonymous