King of Blood

Chapter 4 - Lyanna

Lyanna stood in front of the modest main building of the university, the early morning sunlight casting long shadows across the stone courtyard. Students milled about, chatting in groups or rushing to their classes. The grand buildings of the university loomed over her, their intimidating spires piercing the sky like the bones of ancient creatures. She took a deep breath and stepped forward, trying to shake the unease that had settled in her chest.

She'd prepared for this moment, of course. Her appearance was flawless, the glamour still holding strong, and the papers in her hand felt strangely heavy—her new identity, her fabricated past, everything necessary to blend into this world in black and white. But even with all her preparation, the weight of her true self felt impossible to shake. She was Lyanna Payne, the Black Knight of the Unseelie and daughter of the great warrior, Nydael Payne. No one here knew who she really was, and it was best it stayed that way. Here, she was Leah Smith, just another human.

She found the administration office easily enough, its sign hanging crookedly above a narrow door. Inside, the air was stifling, thick with the scent of paper and dust. A line of humans stretched out from the front desk, each of them holding some form of documentation. Lyanna took her place in line, her eyes scanning the room, noting the worn carpets and peeling wallpaper. She felt oddly out of place here—this dingy, poorly lit room was a far cry from the opulence she was used to. But it didn't matter. It was all part of the disguise.

When her turn finally came, she stepped up to the counter, where a middle-aged woman with narrow, pinched features sat, glaring at her over the rim of her glasses. The nameplate on the desk read "Ms. Evers."

"Name?" the woman asked without looking up.

"Leah Smith," Lyanna said, keeping her voice steady. She handed over the stack of papers Aleksander had given her, carefully folded and perfectly signed. The woman snatched the papers from her hand and began rifling through them with an air of bored disinterest.

Lyanna resisted the urge to reprimand her for her rudeness. She couldn't help but wish that Ms. Evers knew exactly who she was dealing with. If the woman had any idea of the power Lyanna wielded—of the devastation she could cause with a sword—her demeanour would change instantly. But Lyanna bit her tongue, reminding herself that the last thing she needed was to draw attention. This was her trial, after all. She was supposed to be invisible.

"History, is it?" Ms. Evers muttered, her eyes scanning the papers. "Well, you're all set for now. Here's your schedule. You enrolled late so make sure that you aren't late tomorrow."

She slid a thin sheet of paper across the desk toward Lyanna without so much as looking her in the eye.

"Thank you," Lyanna said, her tone neutral, though she felt irritation simmering beneath her skin. She took the schedule and turned to leave, but not before catching Ms. Evers muttering something under her breath about 'ungrateful children'. Lyanna scoffed. She hadn't been a child for years, even when perhaps she should have been.

She paused for a second, the urge to remind Ms. Evers that she was no ordinary woman flashing through her mind again, but she let it go. It wasn't worth it.

Outside, the air was fresh and crisp, a welcome change from the stuffy confines of the office. Lyanna glanced down at her schedule, trying to make sense of the jumble of times and room numbers. The campus sprawled before her, a maze of pathways, buildings, and students. It was disorienting, but also strangely exciting. For the first time in what felt like ages, she was doing something on her own, away from the ever-watchful eyes of the Unseelie court. The university might be a lie, but it was her lie; it was her space to navigate.

As she wandered through the campus, her thoughts drifted back to the coffee shop from the day before where she found herself wandering back to, her feet moving of their own accord.