His Hand In The Shadows

Chapter 21: Anew

The academies reopened for the start of the new academic year. Villagers traveled together while the upper-class were escorted by their personal guards. Upperclassmen guided first year students on their tour of the academy while friends greeted one another in the halls. A start to a new beginning.

Stella unpacked her bags and noticed Ayla had not arrived yet. She was certain they got to keep the same rooms again. She shrugged it off since all the villagers had not gotten to Orhem as yet, as they had to travel by foot, while she had been taken by carriage. She would give her a day. Belcrest was relatively close to the academy, compared to other villages which demanded villagers to travel for days, but with the usual antics taking place in the city anyone could have been set back.

After getting ready for classes the next morning, Ayla's absence really started to weigh on her. In the cafeteria, Eris and Nash sat at their usual table, staring at each other, their trays before them. They didn't speak. Stella could feel the unease between them. "Well, do you plan on telling me what has happened?" she asked them.

~

Everyone wanted to know what happened in Arcus. The papers had informed the public that the students had been held there against their will then spontaneously set free. It sparked uproar, not only in Orhem Academy, but across the country. The people no longer felt the safety they were growing to enjoy when Arcusian troops had started aiding them in rebuilding.

The people started to draw their conclusions since the crown would not share any details. Orhem students began to speculate and interrogate those who were a part of the exchange program. While some found the attention a repulsive reminder of the mold infested cells, others found it delightful and appreciated their celebrity status.

Phina was surrounded by a constant entourage as she shared her story of escaping captivity from the Arcusian government and how she bravely kept her comrades under control. One captive though, had not made it back to the academy as she still lived in that day they broke into her room to take her to the holding cells.

"Sir Zayd!" Phina called from the crowd around her. Phina pushed through the crowd to catch up with Zayd and Reyes as they continued down the hallway.

"With all the attention you are receiving, I am now jealous. Perhaps I too should have gone to Arcus," Reyes said.

"You are too delicate a boy to have survived the harsh treatments we suffered."

"But the attention is worth it, is it not?"

She wouldn't sink to his level. It wasn't worth the fight. Instead, she hooked her arm around Zayd's and gave him her full attention. "I thought for certain your House would crucify you! My mother told me of Lady Cormill contacting her to find you. They turned Norlyn on its head in efforts to locate you."

"So I have been told," Zayd said.

"You are such a troublesome heir," she teased. "So, Sir Zayd, what did they do when they found you had run off with the peasant? Does that mean they crucified her in your place?" Phina leaned her head against his shoulder, her tangerine curls falling down his arm as she pulled on him. "Why so quiet? Where is she? The Ladies from Arcus wish to meet her, to thank her—the men as well."

"I have not seen her," Zayd said.

Reyes bent forward, looking past Zayd and towards Phina. "We were just looking to find any of her friends. Do you know where they might be?"

"It is news to me that she even has friends."

"I know her!" Reyes pointed at a student in the distance. Her dark hair was green at the ends of her high ponytail, revealing a shaved undercut. He walked up to Ayla's roommate. "Stella Desot of Althea."