The Skyhome Academy

Rose walked along the main stone path from the spire to the castle gate. She wore her finest jewelry and an elegant red dress. While she had considered wearing her dress uniform for the first day of her romantic trip, she had decided against it—she still remembered Prince Robert’s lukewarm reaction to her desire to be a mage. I’m sure he’ll come around.

Her hair had been carefully styled by an academy barber. Though she had taken to applying her own make-up, she had been grateful when Emma had offered her expertise for the day.

It was an overcast afternoon, though the clouds were far above the academy’s elevation. Waiting by the gate was a flying carriage, four griffons attended by servants, and Rose’s father. She recognized the carriage as the same model that had accompanied the prince at the beginning of the school year.

“Hey, Dad,” Rose said as she arrived beside him. She looked around, perhaps a touch frantically. “Prince Robert isn’t here yet?”

“No. …⁠I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look quite so nervous.”

“I’m going on a date with royalty! I just want everything to be perfect. …⁠Maybe I should have tried to cover up my freckles.”

“I promise that you look wonderful. If the prince has any sense, I’m sure he’ll like you for who you are—so try to relax.”

“Thanks.” Rose decided to worry about something practical to calm her nerves. “So, how’s the investigation coming?”

“We shouldn’t discuss that.”

“Come on, there isn’t any harm in telling me. And hearing how it’s going will make me feel safer.” She clasped her hands before her and favored him with her most pleasant smile.

“It’s like you’ve weaponized adorableness,” the mage complained, though he also sounded amused. Then he sighed. “There’s not much to tell. Baron Tessel found some room in the budget for overtime, so I’ve increased patrols. I would have rather increased the garrison, but that would have been much more expensive. A few men I trust implicitly will be staking out the kitchen level after hours.

“The baron also agreed to bring in some investigative telepaths. The testing is time-consuming, and there’s advanced magic that can plant false results—so physical evidence of disloyalty or intent to harm Mage Charles is just as important. For that we’ve been going through the belongings of every serf.”

“I already knew about that—Mei wasn’t happy about a bunch of strange men going through her locker.”

Rose’s father nodded. “Of course, we can’t inconvenience citizens or nobles too far without a warrant. So we need to catch a break soon. We did get permission to investigate Professor Akintola, but searching his room and mind turned up nothing suspicious. We’ll be keeping tabs on him from now on, though I hate to consider him a suspect.”

“What about Lord Jame?”

“…⁠He refused to speak with me on the matter. But you shouldn’t take that as evidence of guilt.”

“And you can’t monitor him?”

Her father shook his head. “That would be illegal.”

Rose was mostly disappointed by what she had learned. “I heard that a few noble cadets have left until the attacker is caught.”

“We’re fortunate it was only a few—but that won’t be the case if there’s another attack. I’d hate to see classes canceled for the semester.”

There was an uncomfortable silence as Rose considered this possibility. But then she noticed Prince Robert drawing close, so she banished such thoughts and kept a pleasant demeanor. He was followed at a distance by his four guards and two footmen.

“Lady Rose, you truly are a vision,” he greeted her.

“My Lord, I’m so relieved to see you. Happy, I mean!” She felt herself blush.

Prince Robert laughed pleasantly. “You sound as if you were afraid I wouldn’t show.”

“…⁠I guess it’s silly, but I thought you might change your mind about bringing me.” More accurately, a paranoid fantasy that she would see the prince leave for the capital by griffon while she waited by the carriage had preoccupied her that afternoon.

“I promise that I would never be so inconsiderate,” he reassured her, stepping closer.

“Of course. …⁠I’m glad you wore your dress uniform, My Lord. It suits you so well.” Rose smiled shyly, but was then startled when her father cleared his throat. She had forgotten he was there!

“Oh, pardon me for ignoring you, Mage William,” Prince Robert said in embarrassment. “How are you?”

“I’m fine, My Lord. …⁠I realize that you’re royalty, but I’d still like to remind you to always be a proper gentleman with my daughter.”

“You have my word that I will be.”

Rose’s father nodded before looking to her. “Have a good weekend.”

“You too.” The mage started back toward the spire.

“Aren’t you bringing either of your handmaidens?” Prince Robert asked Rose.

“I’d rather have them focus on their studies—they’re going to be my support casters when I graduate.” That was not the entire truth, but she knew that admitting she did not want to treat them as servants would be too strange for a first date.

“That’s sensible of you—and there are plenty of servants at the castle. Are your belongings packed?”

“I had them sent down earlier.”

“Then let’s be off, My Lady.” Prince Robert led her over to the carriage and opened the door. He gently took her hand and helped her inside. Meanwhile, his guards went to their griffons and his footmen entered the carriage through a different door.

The interior of the carriage was luxurious. There was a refrigerator and a mahogany table with long padded seats on either side. On opposite walls were two presently closed panels that could be pushed aside—one to speak with the pilot, the other for the servants in the smaller rear compartment. There was also a pair of large windows.

Prince Robert closed the door and sat down beside Rose. The panel before them opened, and the pilot addressed the royal. “I’ve received permission to depart, My Lord.”

“By all means.” The panel closed, and the cadets had privacy once more. Rose felt the carriage float forward and saw the view of the academy give way to open sky.

She tried to think of something to say. “This is a very nice carriage, My Lord.”

“It is. But please, feel free to call me Robert when it’s just the two of us.”

“That’s really okay?”

He nodded. “Oh, I heard that you’ve won your first two tournament preliminaries. Congratulations.”

“You’ve been following the preliminaries?” she asked excitedly.

“Of course. I’m a fan of the Skyhome Tournament, and the magia league.”

“Do you think the Devils will take the trophy this year?”

“I doubt it—Giscard’s past his prime.”

“You’re out of your mind!” she cried, and they both laughed. “…⁠Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I didn’t think you’d be so easy to talk to.”

“That doesn’t surprise me. I realize I can be a little stuffy in public, but royals are expected to carry ourselves a certain way.”

“I definitely wouldn’t say you’re stuffy,” Rose answered playfully. “Now, why don’t you explain how you think a player who averaged 2.2 enervations per quarter last year is ‘past his prime?’”

The flight to the capital took half an hour, and the pair spent much of it talking about magical combat—both in tournaments and warfare. Eventually Rose noticed that the carriage was passing over the city itself. She moved to look out the window at the many densely packed buildings. There was plenty of snow to be seen, though the roads were kept clear. Off in the distance, the same mountain range that loomed over Almeric’s Pass continued north. A great river that divided the capital in half emerged from the mountains.

“Have you been to Crossingford before?” Robert asked.

“A few times—but I’ve never seen it from the air!”

The prince opened the panel to the pilot’s compartment. “Could you turn the carriage a bit, so that Lady Rose can see the castle?”

The servant glanced behind him. “Yes, My Lord.” Robert closed the panel, and the vehicle changed course slightly.

Rose watched as Fairfax Castle came into view. It was even larger than the Skyhome, though not capable of flight. Battlements and towers of gray stone soared above the city. There were artillery emplacements and Graylands flags visible atop the towers. Also, a pair of ironclad warships circled above the castle in a slow orbit.

“It’s even more amazing from the sky,” Rose said.

“Your reaction makes me worry that I’ve been taking the castle for granted. But to me, it’s always just been home.” Despite how presumptuous it was, Rose could not help but imagine that the castle might someday be her home as well.

The carriage soon resumed course directly toward the castle, and she relaxed into her seat once more. “Thank you for inviting me to your home,” she said quietly.

The prince took her hand. “It’s my pleasure.”

A couple minutes later, the carriage landed on a wide platform atop the castle. Robert exited the vehicle first, and then helped Rose down. “Welcome to Fairfax Castle, Lady Rose. Would you like a tour?”

“I’d be honored, My Lord.”

The prince led her through the castle, with two of his guards trailing far enough behind to allow the pair their privacy. They walked on the wall for a time before seeing the banquet hall, the ballroom, the library, and other points of interest. The decor was every bit as luxurious as the academy, but the halls and rooms were more spacious.

At Rose’s request they saw the armory—this large stone room had no decoration, save a few swords and shields hanging on the walls. Inside were numerous wands on racks—both the standard sidearms, and heavy wands. The latter rested on a tripod and drained mana from up to three soldiers at once.

Finally, the tour reached the castle’s greenhouse. “You may want to cast your shield—it’s a bit muggy in here,” Robert warned Rose as they entered. She cast the spell, while he drew his wand and did likewise.

The greenhouse was massive, with a variety of colorful flora from places much warmer than the Graylands. Rows of lights in the mostly glass ceiling held magical flames with an unusual orange tinge. Unlike the standard lamps, they gave off both heat and light. Outside, the noble saw the daylight waning.

“It’s beautiful,” Rose whispered. Robert took her by the hand, though she had to adjust her shield to let him do so. He led her through the greenhouse and shared his knowledge of some of the plants.

The pair were soon interrupted by the approach of a butler. Given the quality of his uniform, Rose suspected that he was a citizen rather than a serf. “My Lord, your father wishes to speak with you at your earliest convenience.”

“You’ll have to excuse me,” Robert told Rose. She nodded to him.

“My Lady, shall I show you to your room?” the butler asked.

“Thank you.”

Rose parted company from the prince and soon arrived in one of the guest bedrooms. As was to be expected, no expense had been spared—even the bathroom was done in marble and extravagant fixtures. Her belongings had already been put away in the appropriate places.

After freshening up, Rose took a novel from the shelves and sat in one of the bedroom’s comfortable chairs. She then kicked off her shoes and rubbed her feet briefly. Her gaze found the bed, which was absurdly large for a single occupant. But if Robert could share it with me… Rose blushed, and then quickly pushed aside this unladylike train of thought.

Some time later, she was interrupted in her reading by a knock at the door. “May I come in, My Lady?” Robert asked.

“Just a moment!” Rose tossed aside the book and quickly put her shoes back on before standing. “Please come in, My Lord.”

He entered and approached her. “My apologies for keeping you waiting.”

“Getting called by the king is a pretty good excuse.”

“Thank you for understanding. Would you care for dinner? I made a reservation at the finest restaurant on the riverfront. Though if you’d rather eat here in the castle, that can easily be arranged.”

“I’d love to go out,” Rose said with a reassuring smile.

The pair took the flying carriage to the Sovereign’s Chef restaurant. They were followed by mounted guards. As night had fallen, the city was now awash in lights.

Once they arrived at their destination, a waiter was already standing by to lead them down to their room. When he opened the door, Rose whispered in amazement. “Ooh.”

While the establishment was on the riverfront, the small “room” proved to actually be in the river. More accurately, it was a bubble of air contained by a spherical arcane shield. The unusual enclosure was several feet under the water. At the bottom of a short flight of stairs was a carpeted platform, with a table and two chairs resting on it. Over the table was a white tablecloth, two lit candles, and various other items typical of dining out. There was also a nearby lamp on a stand, but it glowed dimly. Rose thought she saw a fish brush up against the shield, which continually shimmered with the effort of keeping the dark water at bay.

She was seated, with Robert pushing in her chair before sitting on his own. “I recommend the bruschetta for an appetizer,” he said.

“That sounds good.”

The waiter then addressed the prince. “Shall I bring the wine you requested with the appetizer, My Lord?”

“Yes, please.”

The waiter departed, closing the door behind him. Rose looked to her date in concern. “Aren’t we a little young for wine?”

“It’s fine—the owner is a family friend. Though I don’t want to pressure you to drink, My Lady.”

“…⁠Maybe I’ll try half a glass,” she replied with a sheepish smile. Though she did not want to get drunk and embarrass herself.

“Your smile is so beautiful,” Robert said longingly. “…⁠Pardon me if that came out of nowhere.”

Rose blushed. “Not at all. Thank you, My Lord. …⁠Robert,” she amended tentatively.

The prince smiled reassuringly. “So, how do you like the Sovereign’s Chef?”

“It’s so romantic. And amazing! You’d think with these shields that they have a singularity instead of a generator.”

“There are four redundant mana generators—it would hardly do for their richest clientele to take an unexpected bath during their meal.”

Rose laughed, but then turned more wistful. “To think that I’d even be in a place like this. In just half a year, my life has changed so much.”

“I hope the change I’ve brought has been positive.”

“Of course…today you’ve been everything I hoped you would be. You’re charming, and considerate. And I think it’s great that you want to help defend the kingdom—someone in your station could have just as easily avoided any hardship.”

“As a member of the royal family, I feel I have an obligation to support the kingdom in some way. I’ll admit that I chose the military for personal reasons—I want to finish what Thomas started.”

“…⁠It’s so horrible, what Griffonskull did. I know that someday, we’ll put an end to her madness and restore the King’s peace.”

Robert nodded. “I’m sure we will. But please forgive me—I shouldn’t have ruined the mood by bringing up such an unpleasant subject.”

“I think that if two people want to be close, they should be able to talk about difficult topics.”

“When you put it that way, I have to agree. And after all the trouble at the academy this year, there’s a lot to talk about.”

“That’s true. …⁠I keep wondering how poor Mage Charles is doing.”

“We could go to his hospital tomorrow and ask after him?”

Rose smiled. “I’d appreciate that.”

“Hopefully, we’ll be able to put our minds at ease. …⁠But on the subject of difficult topics, there is something I need to speak to you about. When I talked to my father earlier, he asked me to court Lady Susanna in order to strengthen our family’s ties to Duke Mindstrike. But I’d like to continue seeing you.”

Rose could hardly believe how quickly Robert’s words had taken her from happiness to despair, and then back beyond happiness to joy. “You’d defy the king to be with me?” she asked in amazement.

“You misunderstand,” Robert said awkwardly. “I do intend to pursue marriage to Lady Susanna. But she’s plain and uninteresting, so I wish to court you discreetly.”

“…⁠What? You want me to be the other woman?!”

“I don’t see why that bothers you so,” the prince said in surprise. “You must be aware that most high nobles enter into such arrangements? I wouldn’t have thought that a young woman eccentric enough to defy the traditions of magehood would have such an old-fashioned view of marriage.”

“Not cheating on people isn’t old- or new-fashioned! It’s just common decency!”

“Excuse me?” Robert asked in irritation.

Rose stood. “And where do you get off calling me ‘eccentric’ for wanting to be a mage? Why can’t you understand how much I want to protect our kingdom?!”

The door to the room opened, with one of Robert’s bodyguards looking in with concern. Rose belatedly realized how loud she had been.

“Perhaps you’d prefer to go back to the academy?” the prince asked impatiently.

“I would!” Rose pointed at the water. “Why don’t you go take a flying leap into the river? Maybe the cold will dampen your two-timing urges, you…YOU CAD!”

She immediately regretted not finishing on a stronger insult, but Rose stormed out of the room despite this. Everyone in the main dining hall stared at her, and she came to a stop. Then she heard Robert behind her, addressing his guards. “One of you should help Lady Rose retrieve her belongings, and then see her back to the academy. Send a messenger to fetch me another carriage as well.”

“Yes, My Lord,” the lead soldier answered.

Rose hurried toward the exit, not even waiting for the guard she had been assigned to catch up. She waited until she was alone in the carriage to start crying.