I didn’t answer.
Because he was right.
And I hated that he was.
The pain wasn’t that severe, not compared to the shame.
I was strong. I knew I was, but that Sunheart got in my head. Not because she slept with Thalen. I wasn’t jealous.
Not anymore.
But it still reminded me of a scar I thought was healed. Marla reminded me in a cruel and despicable way of how Thalen broke my heart.
I sat down next to Shakari. She didn’t say anything, she didn’t have to. She just reached over and grabbed my hand, grounding me like she always did. That one press of her palm into mine was all I needed to remember, I wasn’t alone. I had never been. She was my friend. My sister.
And with her beside me, I would always be okay.
Chapter 9: Magical Traces
By the time I reached Emberkeep atrium, the lecture was in full swing. My reflection trailed me through glass corridors hair damp. The Hall of Mirrors’ sting clinging to my skin like smoke.
When my mother decreed that I was to complete the Emberkeep curriculum alongside Dragontail’s, no one considered that the classes would overlap. The Court of Solenhart was still reviewing her order, but that didn’t stop the academy from enforcing it. I was expected to attend both, even if it meant running from one end of the grounds to the other with barely a breath in between.
I slipped through the arched doorway just as Headmaster Marvek turned from the board, chalk dust trailing from his sleeve. I didn’t even have time to avoid his gaze or find a discreet seat at the back.
“Miss Solenhart,” he said, his voice as precise as the clock tower. “It seems to be becoming common for you to arrive after the hour.”
My breath caught, but I bowed my head slightly. “Apologies, Headmaster. The Hall of Mirrors class overlaps, and…” A flicker of frustration tightened my voice; I hated the helplessness of explaining myself again.
"Yes, your dual coursework," he interrupted, motioning for me to sit. "A unique privilege, though I expect punctuality from all students. Still…" His expression softened slightly. "It’s good to have the Solenhart heir in Emberkeep, as it should be."
Dozens of eyes followed me across the marble floor. My boots clicked too loudly. I took an empty seat in the back, forcing my shoulders straight as whispers pricked like needles down my spine.
The Emberkeep classroom rose two stories high, its white marble walls etched with the legion’s motto in burnished gold.
Through Reason, Dominion.
Sunlight poured through arched windows, scattering across carved desks and shelves heavy with scrolls and relics. The air smelled of parchment, candle-wax and order, discipline, and legacy.
Headmaster Marvek clasped his hands behind him. “Now, since our princess missed yesterday’s discussion, though I’m sure she’s well-versed in the subject. Who can summarize what we covered?”
A girl in the first row raised her hand at once, slender, steady, polished like everything else about her. Her voice had the rhythm of someone raised in a courtroom.
"We reviewed the main magical trace categories, Headmaster. Elemental wielders such as those controlling water, air, or ice, are common in Dragontail. Ambient wielders call storms, rain, or lightning. Sensory gifts such as enhancedsight, hearing or healing, usually seen in Auroric. Finally, mental magics are Emberkeep’s strength: empaths, truth-finders, coercers, memory seekers, illusionists… and the Sight."
Headmaster Marvek nodded approvingly. “But we all know legion placement is not that simple,” he added, his tone edged with irony. “We see many empaths in Auroric and now, we see the Solenhart princess, who most likely will have the Sight, in Dragontail.”
My throat tightened. They were speaking about me as though I was a prophecy written on parchment, not sitting two rows away, still damp with combat sweat.
“Wouldn’t the princess have already developed this in her early years?” A girl from the middle of the room asked.
“Excellent observation. The Sight, our most revered hereditary trait, has guided the Solenhart line for millennia, ensuring the island’s future remains in wise hands. And indeed, it has usually shown in the early years of the heirs' lives, but not always. I have no doubt this trace will emerge before her twenty-first birthday, as it always has.”
In Marvek’s world, the Solenhart heir had to possess the Sight. There was no space for who I actually was, only for what I was meant to become. My jaw tightened. So I did the only thing I could.
"The princess is right here," I said lightly. "No need to speak as if she isn’t."
A ripple of nervous laughter spread through the room as the young male beside me smirked, his amusement catching on the others until soft chuckles echoed off the marble walls.