Truths from the Past: Book 5 of the Kinstone series

I sit in the Study, having a couple more books on Dewlouran history open in front of me. My earlier session really drained me and then I had to go and spar with Piotr. Not really a good idea and yet here I am, completely exhausted.

That’s why after the morning ended; I came into the Study to simply enjoy some reading. Celes and I spent most of the day in here, either enjoying each other’s company or reading.

When evening came, she left to retire, leaving me to myself and Fenris.

I soon hear a knock on the door, spinning around on the couch to see Serasfall standing in the doorway. I smile to her, “Welcome back,” I greet. “I hope your errand went well.”

She smiles, “It did.” She the walks over and rounds the couch, sitting next to me. Her presence as always been breathtaking to me, a regal woman, a mother, all that I have come to admire with her. “In fact, it revolved around you, my dear.”

Uh oh. I tilt my head, “Okay…what do mean?”

She nods, placing her hands into her lap. “As your guardian, it falls onto me to see to your well-being, be that not only giving you a home and love.” Her gaze softens, “Since I still have not yet found a way to send you back, I must see to your other needs. Namely, you receiving a proper education.”

My eyes widen slightly, “You’re not suggesting what I think you are, right?”

She smiles, “That I am, my dear girl. My errand was in fact meant to enroll you into the Imperia Acadenora.”

I slowly close my book, staring straight into her eyes. “As in…school?”

“Yes,” she replies, beaming. “Now, a little knowledge of the school. It is not meant only for the elite of the city, for even commoners and merchants send their children to attend. These groups however maintain a small majority.”

She smiles, “There are only two major schools within the city, with the other being the military academy.”

I knew the city had a school, given what Tyrion told me and seeing students walking about on the second tier. So this means Dewloura really pushes for an educated populace aside from trade guilds.

“The school does play host to the great houses,” she adds, “with them often sending their children. You my dear are no exception to this.”

She looks to me, “Now, since you are sixteen, you will be enrolled as a first year of the upper school.” She glances at Fenris, “There will be wolves from the other houses present, which carries rules you will learn upon your first day.”

She then leans forward slightly, “You will not be going alone. For your cousin Veylana also attends the Acadenora as a third year. That way, you will have someone to turn to if something were to happen.”

Okay, that’s good to hear…I guess.

I lean back on the couch stunned. Just the news of her doing this is incredible.

We hear the sounds of wolfish chuckles as they rise from beside me. “You will not be able to escape this a third time,” says Fenris.

I smirk, leaning my head against the back of the couch and stare up at the ceiling. “Yeah…I know.”

“What is he talking about?” asks Serasfall.

I smile to her, “This has come up twice before, the first being after I fled my home and I stayed with members from my coven. It was suggested that I could attend when the fall term began, but it was shot down due to security concerns.”

She smiles, “And the second?”

I sigh, but still smile, “The second was from where we were right before Fenris and I arrived here in the past. My sister and aunt came up with the idea, and I'd be going with my friends there.” I pan back to the ceiling, “Not a bad idea, but one that I didn’t feel right with.”

She smiles, reaching over and strokes my hair. “I understand, my darling.”

I smile, looking to her, “So why now?”

Serasfall scoots a little close to me. “At first, I had no idea of what to do with you. I wanted you to at least learn of our language, the people of this city, and its history before I ever made such a decision. Granted, I was still under the impression that your stay here wouldn’t be that long. However, time has proven otherwise. Therefore I must prepare for a longer duration with you.”

I nod, blushing softly. Maybe I will have to accept that I’m never going back. Her sending me to school is proof of that.

She leans in, pulling me to her. “I also wanted to grow closer to you, my dear child. Allowing you to forge a family with us. Call me greedy if you wish.”

I nod softly as I lay my head onto her chest. I feel her hand stroking my hair, feeling it press against my ears and back of my neck.

“I cannot believe it has been nearly two months since your arrival here,” she says. “In that time I have truly come to love you as my own. Your wonderful smile has brought such joy into my life and that of your sister.”

My cheeks blush even more as I look up at her. She smiles, caressing my cheek. “I know if your mother were here, I have no doubt of how proud she would be of you. For I know I am. Having come this far, living in a city not of your own, becoming one of its children.”

I feel as though my cheeks are about the burst into flame that more she speaks. I truly do see her as a mother, but I hold back, for I’m slowly starting to see myself as her daughter. However again, I hold myself back from really crossing that line.

She grins, “With that said, while I am not your mother, I will act as one in her stead. Hence my decision to send you to school.”

A smile forms on my face, feeling very much a like child in her arms. “Thank you.”

She leans over and kisses my forehead. “You are welcome, my precious Aria. I truly love you, my girl, with all the love that I can muster.”

I giggle softly, “And I love you too Serasfall. For everything you have done for us.”

She grins, stroking my hair while holding my close to her.

After a couple moments I pull back and look to her. “So when I do start?”

“The beginning of next week.”

I feel my heart plummeting into my stomach. Okay...either it is my coven or this family…what is the deal with sudden notice events?

She then smiles, “I even had a uniform prepared for you.”

I watch as she snaps her fingers, causing it to appear. It’s a silvery-white long sleeve dress with buttoned cuffs and a thigh-length skirt, with a blue, pleated underskirt. Rounding it off is a blue caplet with white lines along the edges. Adorning it are silver bobbles and tassels.

I smile, stroking it. The cloth feels heavy yet thin for comfort. I tilt my head, wondering about this odd choice in material.

Serasfall smiles to me, “This is meant to protect you during certain classes during the week. Being light yet sturdy.”

Oh, so it’s like the uniform Mom gave me when we began my magic training. Nice.

She then pulls me back into a tight embrace. “I know you will make me proud, my girl. No more than I already am.”

I blush once more, folding into her. “Thank you.”

She smiles, kissing the top of my head, “Now, I brought along material for you to review before your first day. So I want you to study it carefully.”

I smile to her, “Yes ma’am.” She smiles, giving me another hug before releasing me. I grin and gather up my books and leave the Study and head back to my room.

Two days later

I’m up already, having just finished putting on my uniform. I smile as I stare at myself in the mirror. I braided my hair halfway down my back for a bit before letting the rest be straight. It’s a new style Veylana told me about when she learned that I was finally going to be attending school with her. She practically squealed when she heard the news.

I fold my arms behind my back as I continue to look into the mirror. I have a flashback to a year ago when I was worried about returning to Concordia. I was incredibly nervous, being that it was me going back to my old world. At the time I struggled with who I was in my heart, but now that’s all done with.

Yet now it’s different. Here I’m going as me, as Arianna Lucindel Edge. True and knowing of whom I am. There is also nothing beyond this term in school either. After my stint in school then I had my trip to Japan waiting for me. I smile, recalling all the wonderful memories I made there and the people I came to love.

I sigh, missing my aunts terribly. I then grin, wondering how Kenji is getting along with Yukari. I know she’s working him to the bone, preparing him.

With that said, that’s all in the future. Yet it’s there all the same. For now, I’m actually going to school as a teenager again. And this also isn’t some dream trap either, but the real thing. That fact and I’ll be attending a school in the past. Lord knows what awaits me when I arrive.

I hear a knock on my door, turning to see Celes and Serasfall walking into my room. I smile to both of them, a sister and mother coming in to check on their little girl. I blush to myself as those feelings swell within me.

They each smile to me, beaming with pride. “You look completely natural in this, my sister,” says Celes.

I giggle, twirling for them and ending in a curtsy. “My mother had me wear a uniform while she taught me. It was something I took pride in.” I giggle, “This one feels the same as that one. In that we sparred together and the uniform protected me during our matches.”

She smiles, “This will do the same for you, while looking rather cute on you.”

I blush, smiling to her. I then pull out my phone, “Care to take a picture of me?”

Serasfall smiles, “Of course, dear,” then steps over to me and takes my phone. I taught the both of them how to use it, with some effort on my part that is. She holds it up, hearing the shutter snap a couple times.

I hop over as she hands it back to me. I smile, looking over the picture. Granted, I wonder if I’ll ever get to show this to anyone.

“We should go before you become late for your first day,” says Serasfall.

I nod and gather up a bag that’s similar to a Japanese school messenger bag, piling in my Orkona, stashing away my phone and camera, burying them deeply into it. Out of habit, I also pack away my journal.

I learned from reading the material that Serasfall gave me that I am allowed to bring my sword with me, only it must remain sheathed and stashed away. So no big deal. I still don’t know what I’m for once I get there.

I look to them, smiling. Celes pulls me into a tight hug, “I am going to miss seeing you around at all times.”

I smirk, holding onto her, “I’ll be home later today, Celes.”

She smiles, pulling back, and tapping my nose, “I know, Nei’shy, and for that I shall wait.” I giggle, smiling to her.

Serasfall gently lays a hand onto my shoulder. I nod, looking to her as the three of us leave my room.

We exit out into the front courtyard where I see Fenris, Athena, and Rhea all standing near the front gate waiting for me along with a pair of knights on horseback. I half-expected to see Piotr riding with us. I still think it be both sweet and romantic of him wanting to be my personal knight, watching over me as I attend school. But alas, he’s not here.

I grin as I see both Nelly and Leto come running towards me. I kneel down as they barrel into me. I hug them tightly as they begin to whine, brushing their furry faces into me.

“We don’t want you to go, sister,” says Leto.

“We want you to stay and play with us, Aya,” says Nelly.

I grin, holding them to me, kissing each of their little heads. “I’m just going to school, you two. I’ll be home later today.”

The pups whine, burying their heads deeper into me. I smile, gently petting them. They’re no different than Celes, being that they’ve gotten used to seeing me every day at home. I will admit to loving our playtime together, but now that will have to wait.

Athena smiles as she reaches down and gently pulls them away from me, setting the pups beside her. She then looks to me, “Be good, little Aria.”

I smirk, looking back to her, “I feel as though I have yet another mother seeing me off.”

She smiles, leaning in and nudging my face. “I will hear of your day from your father.”

I smile, nodding, “Got it.” She nuzzles my face once again before stepping back.

“We have to go, Aria,” says Serasfall. I nod and hop over to a waiting Fenris as he lays down on the tiling to for me. I slide onto his back with him slowly rising back to his feet.

I look back to everyone, smiling, “Until later guys.” They smile, with Celes waving to me and the pups still whining softly. I tap on Fenris and we ride out the front gate, with Serasfall already some distance away.

As we ride through the city, I look over to Serasfall as she rides on Rhea. She looks so incredibly beautiful, appearing as a majestic figure atop and mighty wolf. Her appearance is almost mythical as her hair gracefully flows in the wind. I truly am in awe of her.

This sort of reminds me of whenever Mom and I would go riding together back home. Just the fact of us being out together is what makes this fun and relaxing.

This again is like the first day going back a year ago, But at the same time completely different. Here I’m a kid, being brought to school rather than going myself.

She looks to me, smiling broadly. I blush softly, smiling in return, really feeling as though I am her daughter.