Chapter 49: Back Down

"Clear Ring Three, Voss!" the lead Silver-rank instructor shouted down from the balcony, his hand resting on his sword hilt.

"We are leaving," I said, stepping off the sand ring before the instructors could start an immediate audit.

Seraphina and Isolde walked beside me as we crossed the stone courtyard toward the East Annex.

By late afternoon, the sun made bright gold bars across the quiet room of our dorm.

Steam rose from two tea cups on the low wooden table.

Seraphina sat quietly on the soft sofa.

She held a white cup filled with warm light tea.

It smelled like sweet dry grass.

She liked seeing the clear gold color through the cup as she blew gently over the top.

Beside her, Isolde sat back against the chair, holding a black clay cup.

Her tea was dark and smoky.

When her eyes felt weak in dim light, she liked holding the black cup with both hands to feel the warm heat.

I sat on the wooden bench across from them, my shoulders down, my body completely relaxed.

My left hand rested on my knee.

With my wives, the cold face I wore in the hallways went away completely.

"The arena floor man was sent away this afternoon," Seraphina said softly, taking a slow sip of her light tea. "Captain Dain signed the paper himself."

"Did Cedric get punished?" Isolde asked, her dark tea steaming near her face.

"No," Seraphina said, a soft smile on her lips. "Cedric said he had no idea the floor tiles were fixed. He blamed it on bad school care."

"Of course he did," I laughed softly, shaking my head. "Cedric never takes the blame if someone else is near."

Isolde closed her eyes for a quiet second, humming a small low sound of joy as the warm smoky tea went down her throat.

Her long black hair fell over her shoulder.

Suddenly, three loud, hard knocks hit our heavy wooden door.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

The quiet peace of the room went away fast.

Isolde’s shadow on the floor grew long on its own, reaching two feet toward the door like a sharp dark spike.

Seraphina’s fingers moved fast, her hand touching her right leg through her dress.

She felt the old pain memory come back for a second under the quick stress.

I stood up from the bench.

My face turned back into a cold, hard wall.

I put my left hand inside my coat pocket as I walked to the door.

I pulled the iron latch open.

Standing on the stone outside were four discipline officers wearing silver armbands over their blue coats.

At their front stood Officer Vane, a tall noble boy with neat brown hair and a heavy bronze book under his arm.

Behind him stood three small officers holding red wax seals.

"Cadet Voss," Vane said, his voice cold and mean. "Get out of the way."

"Why?" I asked flatly, my body blocking the door.

"The school team sent an order to change your rooms," Vane said, tapping his book with a bad grin.

"We are here to make you follow the paper signed by twenty-four noble boys.

Reports say you forced these girls into your marriage.

Get out so we can clean out the room."

I did not move at all.

Before I could even speak, soft, firm steps came from behind me.

Seraphina walked up, stepping right in front of me to face the four officers.

Her back was straight, full of high power.

When Vane’s eyes tried to look past her shoulder to stare at me, Seraphina lifted her chin, blocking his eyes completely.

"You are standing outside the house of a royal family, Officer Vane," Seraphina said, her voice turning sharp and cold down the quiet hall.

Vane blinked, his bad grin falling away under her hard look.

"Lady Seraphina," Vane said, holding his book tight. "We are trying to save your noble name from this low boy-"

"Stop talking," Seraphina cut him off, her word hitting like a heavy hammer.

She did not use a paper scroll.

She did not open any document.

She just looked into Vane’s eyes with cold hate.

"Our marriage paper has the King’s seal," Seraphina said, her voice clear, cold, and strong. "Under royal law, bothering the home of a married royal family without a paper signed by the King himself is a huge crime of treason."

Vane’s face turned white fast.

The three small officers behind him took a step back.

"Treason?" Vane gasped, sweat coming out on his forehead. "This is just a small school check-"

"Show me the King’s seal, Vane," Seraphina demanded, her gold eyes shining like hot fire. "Do you have the King’s name in that book? Or are you standing at my door doing a crime based on fake stories?"

Vane’s mouth opened and closed like a fish.

He had no King’s paper.

He had no royal seal.

He only had Cedric’s cheap paper.

Isolde stepped up quietly behind my right shoulder.

Her dark eyes locked onto Vane’s neck.

Her shadow on the stone wall grew big, moving over the ceiling until it hung right over the four officers like a dark black cloth.

"If you do not have the King’s seal," Isolde said, her voice soft, dark, and scary. "Then your silver armbands mean nothing here. Take one step into our room, and my shadow will rip those armbands off your coats along with the skin under them."

Vane swallowed hard, his throat making a scared click sound.

The black shadow over his head was cold enough to freeze the iron lamps on the wall.

I stepped forward, standing right beside my wives.

My left hand stayed inside my coat pocket.

I looked at Vane’s shaking hands.

"You heard my wives," I said, my voice flat and completely calm. "Get away from our door before things get bad."

Vane looked at Seraphina’s mad royal eyes.

He looked at Isolde’s dark scary shadow.

He looked at my cold face.

The leader of the discipline team gave up completely.

"Run back!" Vane yelled out, dropping his heavy bronze book onto the stone floor because he was so scared.

He turned around and ran fast down the stone stairs.

The three small officers ran right after him, falling over their own coats as they ran down the hall in total shame.

I looked down, kicked Vane’s dropped book off the step, and pulled the oak door shut with a quiet thud.

Thump.

The room went quiet again.

Seraphina let out a soft, happy breath.

Her shoulders came down.

She turned around, a bright, happy smile on her face.

She put her right hand up, tucking a loose piece of gold hair behind her ear.

It was her clear tell when she felt happy and safe.

"No paper needed," Seraphina smiled, looking up at me.

"You broke them with just your voice," I laughed, putting my arm around her waist and pulling her close. "Vane looked like he was about to cry."

Isolde walked back to her black clay cup, picking it up with a sharp, happy grin.

"Much better than reading old papers," Isolde agreed, taking a sip. "Watching them run down the stairs was great."

`[Housing Split Threat Neutralized]`

`[Discipline Committee Publicly Humiliated]`

`[Wives’ United Front Alignment: 100%]`

`[SP Earned: +150 SP]`

`[Current SP Balance: 3,150 SP]`

Our home was safe for tonight.

But through the window, I saw a dark shadow move fast across the roof toward the Wing 1 book building.