The child--unsurprisingly--didn't respond.

Instead, she stared at Allura with wide eyes. Given the usual deadpan state of her expression, the general couldn't help but read the small change as utter astonishment. Sorrel appeared delighted.

"My parents have been thinking about good ones," he volunteered. "They'll be excited to have a reason for her to choose."

"You do need a name," Allura repeated, watching the girl's expression carefully. From the lack of further reaction, it almost appeared as if she were against the idea--as odd as that would be. "Do you want one?"

Again, all she received was silence. After it continued with no change, the general eventually managed to decipher the child's expression. There was no refusal, there, or distaste. Just...continued surprise. Allura's amusement fell away with a swell of sadness.

What had she experienced before coming into their care, that she was so unsettled by the idea of a name?

"Others will need to be able to call out to you," Allura said in explanation as the girl showed on signs of thawing. "And there are many magics that tie to your identity. Such as the watch Sorrel carries. They're easier bound with words and body.

"Go home and discuss it with your guardians. I'm sure that one of them will be able to help you find something that you'll like."

Finally, the girl dipped her head--her own way of acknowledging the suggestion. Still, she didn't budge until Sorrel lightly gripped her arm and steered her towards the door.

"We'll do that! Sorry, again, about intruding," he said, nudging his teammate as they left. "C'mon, Rena."

In the minutes following their departure, Allura found it difficult to refocus her mind. Despite the heaviness of the topic at hand, she couldn't shake the girl from her mind. Was allowing her into the tower the right idea? What if it caused more scars to an already fragile child?

Her gaze shifted to where Aarin still stood and soon a wry smile took her lips.

Why was she questioning her decision? The evidence of such a choice was already in front of her.

It wasn't magic, or the tower that made or broke mages.

No, it was those who sought to exploit the power it gave them. And as long as Allura held her position, it mattered not what one had experienced before they stepped through her door.

They would be safe--because she would ensure it.

"His imperial majesty may have given his orders, but I have also given mine. You will not be leaving with the battalion."

No matter who it angered...

The tower would always stand in support of its mages.

꧁༺ ༻꧂

After Rena left, citing the need to let Noa know the girl was fine, the majority of their walk home was spent in the usual silence.

Sorrel snuck looks at the girl as they traveled. The purpose was twofold: first, to make sure she hadn't run off again, and second to measure her mood in response to everything that had occurred. The latter task, as always, was the more difficult of the two. Her lips were pressed in that even, faux disinterested way she held herself when her mind was a mess. He knew, because it was the look she wore when they did something she didn't understand--like brush her hair or buy her things.

'She talked.'

He couldn't shake her voice from his mind. A hoarse, cracked sound, yet stronger than he had imagined. There hadn't been even the faintest hint of a tremor--instead, confidence he hadn't witnessed in her tiny frame.

'Y-yes.'

It was so simple. And yet--he knew that if his mother had been there, she might have cried. His father would have flushed that way he did when he wanted to be the strong one, but was on the verge of tears himself.

"I know a lot of people," Sorrel said, breaking the extended silence as they reached the final block of their walk. Perhaps if he pushed a conversation she would do it again.

Gods he hoped so.

"Maybe we can come up with something together and surprise them when we get back. What do you think?"

His mother would probably be too ecstatic with the news to remember to kill him for leaving her out of the discussion.

"Let's see...Thea?"

She shook her head, not even bothering to look in his direction.

"No? Hm. Sara? No again...Angelica? No?" Sorrel frowned as she shook her head again, this time shooting him a look. "What's wrong with Angelica? It has 'angel' in it. Folks love angels." She didn't bother with another response and he sighed. "Well, that's all the ideas I have at the moment."

She paused, her judging expression requiring no effort for him to interpret. For a split second, he wondered if he should quit automatically responding to her silent faces. It was obvious, now, that she could speak and was simply choosing not to. If he didn't make it easier for her to stay silent, would she be forced to answer as she had done before?

He pushed the matter away without lingering on it too long. His parents could make life harder by encouraging her. He was the older sibling, he was just supposed to make sure she was safe and happy. At least, he figured that's what older brothers were supposed to do.

And that's what he was, wasn't it?

"I said I know a lot of people," he argued. "But, it isn't like you can use the names we encounter every day. Imagine if you walked around being called Rena. It'd be confusing."

She furrowed her brow, seeming to consider his words, before nodding and starting forward once again. Sorrel laughed, tension sliding from his shoulders despite how close to their house they'd become.

Whatever his parents thought of the events of the morning, one thing was clear.

The girl was getting better.

She'd never made faces like that before.

"We're home!"

As Sorrel kicked off his shoes, his mother's face appeared from around the kitchen doorway. She held a large spoon in her hand.

"Welcome home." Her eyes skimmed them from head-to-toe, before she dipped back into the kitchen. Sorrel rolled his eyes. "Did you eat anything while out?"

He paused in the hall before answering, waiting for the girl to pass him into the kitchen. He could only stare in confusion as she ran upstairs instead. For a moment, he considered following her, but changed his mind. Maybe she wanted to be alone after everything that had happened.

"No. I figured I'd just come back and make something for us and Dad since you were supposed to be at the training grounds," Sorrel explained. "That ass--Beiran said he saw you leave for them."

As he entered the kitchen, the savory scent of whatever was simmering in a pot on the stove sent his stomach growling. His mother smiled. Then, she seemed to realize what he had said.

"Mage Beiran. Not that--" She cut herself off with a glance at the hall. "His title, nothing less, Sorrel. Especially not what you were considering saying."

He groaned and tossed himself into a chair at the table. "I'm not wrong."

"No, but you shouldn't say it. Futherm--" she replied, before stopping with a frown. "You two were at the tower?"

He blanched. "That's..."

Sorrel had hoped to avoid explaining how everything started after he lost track of her. How did he do that, though?

The girl ran in from the hall, providing the distraction he needed. She climbed into the chair next to him, placing a familiar book on the table. 'The Midnight Princess.'

"Do you want me to read it?" he asked.

"She really seems to enjoy your stories," his mother mused.

Sorrel hummed an agreement as the girl nodded. He hesitated, gaze flicking back up to his mother as she watched the girl with affection. Was this a good time?

"It's probably for the best," he ventured. "Since she wants to join the tower. If I read to her a lot she'll do better on the exam."

His mother nearly dropped her spoon. "She--what?"

"She wants to join the tower. General Allura said she'd look into it and that in the meantime she should pick a name for herself."

If anything, his mother looked more astonished than before. Only, this time there was the faintest hint of disapproval. He doubted it was about the name--so, was it about the girl becoming a mage? Was it because it was dangerous?

"A name? What did she think about it?"

"She agreed, but hasn't picked anything yet."

"Oh."

Sorrel might have added more, but was distracted as the girl tugged on his sleeve. "Hm?"

At some point during the conversation, she had flipped open the book and located the first page. While wearing something almost resembling a hopeful expression, she pointed to the first symbol on the page. A wry smile slid onto his lips. It would seem she wasn't willing to wait until their conversation was over. It was cute.

"Sorry, sorry," he apologized, attempting to hide his amusement. "I'll start."

Remembering his previous promises, Sorrel moved his own hand into position so that he could point out the characters as he spoke.

"In the far, faraway kingdom of Stell, there lived a young princess, Elysia."

She grabbed his hand. Startled, Sorrel quit reading and let her move his finger back to a word.

"Elysia?" he read, confused.

She nodded. "Elysia."

The spoon clattered to the floor. When Sorrel looked up, his mother was holding onto the counter, eyes wide. Within the second, however, she'd recovered and bent down to pick up the spoon. She turned to the sink.

"I--Elysia. Is that what you're picking, dear? It means blissful if I remember correctly. A beautiful name."

Sorrel stared at his mother's back. Had her voice cracked, or was that his imagination?

The girl slipped from her stool. Then, with steady, slow steps, she crossed over to Camilla, book in hand. His mother turned around just as the girl offered her the book. Hesitantly, she accepted it.

"You want me to read it?" his mother asked.

She shook her head and looked back at Sorrel. He racked his mind, attempting to put the pieces together in the girl's actions. Eventually, he shook his head in turn, stumped. "I'm sorry, I don't understand you this time."

She frowned, then looked back to his mother.

"...I...w-want t-t-to be Elysia." She pointed at the moon on the book's cover. "Matches."

Understanding flooded Sorrel's mind. He dug his pocket watch out of his satchel, before holding it up for their viewing. He pointed to the symbol etched into the back, the one that marked it as his. "It matches this?"

She nodded. For a moment, his mind blanked. Then, eventually, he grinned.

"Mom, she wants to be Elysia because she's the midnight princess. There's moons through the whole book, like our family crest."

Tears welled in her eyes. "O-oh."

Seemingly satisfied that she'd been understood, the girl tugged the book out of Camilla's hands and wrapped her arms around it, before turning a heel and returning to Sorrel. Once again, she climbed onto the stool, before plopping the book back down on the counter and pulling it open. Neither of them moved as she flipped to the right page, before pointing at the characters for 'Elysia.' She traced them with her fingers.

"I should get paper," he realized aloud. "Teach her to write it."

He didn't move.

The front door opened, then shut. It wasn't until the sound of his father's heavy footsteps filled the hall, followed by the man himself calling out a greeting that Sorrel pushed himself into standing. He hurried for the doorway, pushing past him.

"What's the hurry?"

Her voice was muffled by the wall as Sorrel ran up the stairs, but he could still hear the quiet, stammered reply his mother gave.

"Rhom...she spoke."

꧁༺ ༻꧂

"So, you chose a name."

The girl--no, Elysia, nodded as she tucked her hands behind her back. Allura studied her, only heightening the tension in her shoulders. What did the general see when she looked at her? Someone pushing for a position she didn't deserve, with a name that didn't suit her?

But oh, how she wanted it to. She traced the characters in her mind again, memorizing the strokes of each line Sorrel had taught her.

It was beautiful. And it was hers.

"Elysia...it's fitting. I wonder, do you plan on going by Elysia Lunas? I'm certain that neither Camilla or Rhom would have a problem with it."

She tensed, dropping her gaze to the floor. That would be presumptuous of her, wouldn't it? She had no rights to agree to that. Not when the people in question hadn't offered it.

Still, within a second, she shrugged off her anxiety, hoping to appear as if the question didn't bother her as deeply as it did.

"I see," Allura replied, then paused before dropping her eyes to the papers spread over the surface of her desk. "Well, I took care of matters on my end as well. You're free to take the exam to enter the tower as soon as you are ready. As discussed, you will inevitably be behind your peers. If you were to enter now, that wouldn't be the case, but you will need the most basic of skills in order to join. Mages are scholars as much as they are adventurers.

"The Lunas know what is required, seeing as they put Sorrel through the same process many years ago. There shouldn't be any problems with the preparations, all that is in question is the amount of effort that you put in. We are giving you a year to reach the level of proficiency seen in the lowest grade. In the meanwhile, we will measure your mana and test your knowledge of magic."

As the general spoke, Elysia's nerves faded in favor of excitement.

As anxious as the entire situation made her--because, what if she couldn't do it?--she couldn't help the way she rocked back on her heels as she realized what exactly her decision to follow Sorrel and Aarin into the tower would bring her.

She was going to read. Not just the letters the Watcher had taught her, but all of them. And, for the first time, she realized that no one was going to judge her for it. They weren't like the Others. They would ensure she learned if she wanted to, but there would be no harsh words or heavy hands if she didn't. No withheld meals.

No needles.

"I'm glad you're happy," Allura continued, as if able to read her thoughts. "Why don't you go find Sorrel? I'm sure he will be glad to help you begin your studies."

With a short nod, Elysia slipped from the room.

She couldn't waste any time if she was going to catch up with her reasons. The person who had saved her, and the person who supported her. The ones giving her a chance to stand on her feet and see a world beyond the Circle.

And she would see it.