- Derrick
I set my brother's letter down with a chuckle. It might be my most challenging year yet, but at least Derrick was having a good time. Someone should be.
Alex snorted loudly, having finishing the letter over my shoulder just moments after. "That little pest is full of himself now that he's got himself a soldier's blade."
Ella smiled widely. "I don't know, Alex, Derrick is pretty handsome."
My twin choked. "He's three years younger!"
I let them continue their banter. I couldn't wait to be stationed up north with Derrick next summer. Everyone knew Ferren's Keep was one of the four cities the apprentices trained in and it was only a half a day's ride to the border from there. I had missed many things since Alex and I had first set out for the Academy three years ago, and my family – especially Derrick - I missed the most. Already my younger brother had matured from a feisty twelve-year-old into a young man. Cavalry didn't have a four-year apprenticeship period like the other war schools but I still couldn't believe Derrick was a soldier. I had missed that period of growth from child to adult and it was alarming how quickly it had happened.
Next year couldn't come soon enough.
"Do you think we will lose again this time?"
I glanced up over my plate of roast boar to frown at Ella. She was talking about the mock battle. "You think we will?"
"We are mentees. The odds aren't exactly in our favor."
Alex put his arm around the girl's waist. "We won our first year – and we were the underdogs then too."
"Yes, but we won because Ry was able to bat her eyelashes at Ian instead of fighting him. Somehow I don't think that tactic would work quite as well this year."
"Hey!" I huffed indignantly. "I can fight him."
"Sorry, hun, but he is your mentor. I've seen the two of you in practice." My friend looked sympathetic.
I cringed. She was right, of course. Ian did beat me most of the time. The last two months Byron had let the fourth - and fifth-years cast on their own. Without the master's split-second commands to prepare me for my defense I had struggled to keep up with the random assault of attacks. Still, I liked to think I had done better than most of the other fourth-years.
That, and I was still better than Ian at pain casting. Darren and I were better than all of the fifth-years who could pain cast… but that didn't really matter when the third-years were still much better than our second-year mentees.
Overall the mentors still outperformed us in casting and physical prowess.
"If you think about it, since we started the apprenticeship the mentees have won every year." Ray joined us at our table, eager to be included in the night's debate.
"That's true." Ella stirred her cider with her finger. "And it's uncommon enough as is. Perhaps the streak will continue."
The tavern was noisy – but not so much so that I couldn't hear the door swing open for its newest customers. Especially when the whole room went silent. I turned just in time to see Priscilla, Darren, and Blayne appear in its entry all laughing loudly at something their unknown companion had said.
My blood turned to ice. I was all too conscious of his presence. I fought myself to keep from staring.
To redirect my thoughts I studied the stranger instead.
The girl was of islander descent like Lynn, with the same straight black hair and almond eyes. Unlike the apprentice, however, she dressed much more elaborately. The material that made up the stranger's gown and cloak was something I had only seen once before, in one of the merchant stalls in Langli. Borean silk.
What really caught my interest was how the girl held herself. When she spoke to the crown prince and his brother there was no hint of awe, no fear, none of the usual trademarks of someone addressing their better. Either the stranger knew Blayne and Darren very well, or she was royalty.
"Is that…?"
"Princess Shinako!" Lynn squealed. I watched as the fifth-year ran up to greet the girl in fine dress.
Shinako instantly broke off her conversation to embrace her old friend. The two started to exchange excited greetings, but Blayne interrupted with a curt, "Shina!" The princess rolled her eyes and then Blayne grabbed her arm, whispering something that made her redden instantly.
The princess murmured an apology to her friend and then shoved her way past Blayne to strike up a conversation with his brother instead.
"What do you think he said to her?" Ray wondered.
"It's Blayne," Ella's gaze followed the princess, sympathetically, "so probably something horrible."
Alex darkened. "If I ever catch him or his brother in an alley alone…"
"You won't do anything." Ella gave my brother a sharp look, but her voice softened as she added, "Because if you do, you'll be thrown in prison and what life would that leave us?"
Alex gripped my friend's fingers tightly.