Settling into a new routine was easy.

  For the next week, every morning Vivian woke up in her newly furnished room in the attic, in a bed softer than any she had ever slept in before, though taking into account that she used to sleep on hay spread on the floor, that might not be much of a comparison. After a quick wash she would sit down for breakfast with Sith, already dressed and ready to leave for work. After Sith left, she would spend the next couple of hours tending to the greenhouse. When she heard Peri eventually amble downstairs, she would pop her head into the dining room to call out a greeting, to which there would be a mumbled response she had yet to decipher. Soon after Peri had settled down with his morning coffee and breakfast, Aiden and Felix would arrive. They would gather in the library to study any maps they could find in Sith’s collection. Felix would work on outlining the existing borders of the Druscan woods, while Aiden studied any texts and books that could give them any information about the same, reading them out loud for Vivian’s sake.

  After a couple of hours they would leave for the city, wandering around the streets, discovering new shops and restaurants. Vivian made it a point to ask as many shop owners if there was something they required from the woods, things she could sell to them once she received her trade license. The list was quite long. For lunch, they would retreat either to Felix’s or Aiden’s townhouse in the residential district. Both of them were gorgeous, three-storeyed, white marble structures with several terraces and bedrooms within, most of which stood empty without use.

  ‘Does everyone get their own townhouse?’ Vivian had gaped up at the large front double doors that led into Aiden’s entrance hall the first time she was there. It didn’t take long for the wonder to fade away. ‘Seems a bit excessive.’

  ‘For most nobles, this is small.’ Felix skipped up the front stairs and into the hall. ‘Though I do agree that it’s a waste of space. What would I even do with six bedrooms?’

  Aiden handed his coat to the goblin who had opened the door. ‘Thank you Bruz. Any news while I was out?’

  The goblin Bruz gave a small bow. ‘Yes sir. A letter from Miss Shyling arrived earlier this afternoon. I’ve left it in your study for your perusal.’ His deep voice was soothing to listen to. ‘Additionally, Miss Simony had paid a visit, said she wished to meet you and was willing to wait.’

  Aiden quickly looked around and his voice dropped to a whisper. ‘Is she here?’

  Bruz looked affronted. ‘What do you take me for sir? This isn’t my first day as a butler. I know I serve an introvert who attracts girls like flies to a corpse.’

  ‘Bruz,’ Aiden said warningly.

  Bruz gave a small teasing smile. ‘It was with great pleasure that I told her that you were out with another girl.’

  ‘You what?!’

  ‘Oops. Should I have not done that?’ Bruz tilted his head in mock confusion. ‘Then I probably shouldn’t have told Miss Vinster that you were now spending your days in another girl’s home.’

  Aiden rubbed his forehead. ‘Bruz, why do I keep you around?’

  ‘To be completely frank sir, I don’t know either.’ Bruz gave him a slightly mischievous smile. ‘Perhaps it’s because of your fear of conversation with your peers and I provide quite the effective repellent to said peers.’

  ‘I am not afraid-’

  Vivian placed a hand on his shoulder. ‘No, you are. You really are.’

  ‘You can’t imagine how delighted I was when Master Felix came to visit for the very first time.’ Bruz gave Felix a slight bow who grinned in return. ‘If I wasn’t a butler, I would have jumped and clicked my heels with joy. As it were, I settled for indulging in some pudding.’

  Aiden slowly turned towards him. ‘You mean the pudding I was saving for myself. I wondered what had happened to that.’

  ‘You really needed to cut back on your sweets intake, sir.’ Bruz shook his head gravelly. ‘And so, like any good butler that cares for their master, I decided to take the arrow for you.’

  Aiden took a deep, calming breath. ‘I had ordered a cake yesterday. Is it…?’

  Bruz gently wiped his lips. ‘Someday, you will thank me.’

  ‘I doubt that,’ Aiden grumbled. He sighed loudly. ‘Is lunch ready, or did you inhale that for my sake as well?’

  ‘Oh no, no. Of course not.’ Bruz shook his head. ‘I can’t stand asparagus. Makes me feel bloated.’

  Aiden gave him an incredulous look and opened his mouth to say something, but stopped and thought better of it. Another sigh escaped him as he turned and climbed up the stairs. ‘Please serve lunch on the drawing room balcony, that is if it’s alright with you.’

  ‘I suppose I could, though carrying everything upstairs is a bit of a chore…’ Bruz gave a short sigh. ‘Very well, sir.’ The goblin ignored the glare that Aiden had fixed on him by this point. He gave a deep bow and disappeared into the dining room.

  ‘Honestly, of all the goblins I could’ve been assigned, I get the most nosy and obstinate one.’

  ‘I think he’s good for you.’ Vivian followed Aiden up the stairs to a luxurious and decadent drawing room. ‘I have a feeling you’d have sat around in completely silence, with the windows shut and curtains drawn closed if it weren’t for him.’

  ‘That’s exactly what he was doing when he first came here.’ Felix threw himself into a comfy armchair by the unlit fireplace. ‘That first week before Bruz was assigned to him, no one saw hide or hair of him.’

  ‘I was… processing my new situation.’ Aiden sat down as well. ‘It was a big change, finding out I was a mage. I needed some time to reorient myself.’

  ‘How about now?’ Vivian pushed open the balcony windows to let in some fresh air and sunlight. ‘You feel adjusted?’

  ‘I don’t think I ever will.’

  Vivian shrugged. ‘I don’t blame you. I’ve been here almost two weeks and I still feel… unsteady.’

  ‘Yes well, there’s no point to getting settled.’ Felix let out a wide yawn. ‘We’re only going to be here for five years.’

  Vivian’s head snapped around. ‘Wh-what do you mean only five years?’

  Aiden leaned forward. ‘You do know that this is only a temporary situation, yes?’

  ‘I think it’s quite obvious that I did not.’ She settled down on the couch next to Aiden. ‘Wait, so you mean to tell me that you’ll be leaving Mirran after five years.’

  ‘Well, we’re only here to learn how to control our powers. That’s the whole reason our families have sent us here.’ Felix picked at the threads on the armchair. ‘Once that's done we’ll go back to serve our families again.’

  ‘But... magic is illegal in Venith.’ Vivian was confused. ‘It’s the whole reason for us running and hiding like this. You’d be hunted down by Sentinels and the like if you return. How are you-’

  It was at this moment that Bruz arrived, precariously balancing several plates on his arms. He was moving at a snail’s pace so as to not tip any of them over. The three of them watched as he slowly made his way to the terrace.

  ‘Oh please, don’t get up.’ His arms gave a little wobble. ‘If the food falls I suppose you could always eat it off the floor.’

  ‘You could just ask for help.’ Vivian moved forward to grab a few of the plates. ‘We’re not mind readers.’

  ‘Also it’s your job,’ Aiden pointed out, but still picked up a plate from the goblin. ‘It’s what I pay you for.’

  ‘You don’t pay me sir, the council does.’

  ‘With my father’s money.’

  ‘Which is not your money, it’s your father’s.’ Bruz finally managed to set the plates down on terrace table. ‘I also think I should be paid extra for tuition, since I am currently educating you on how to talk to other people.’

  ‘A service I never asked for.’ The three of them sat down at the table, ready to tuck into the small feast in front of them.

  ‘Really sir? Then will I get paid for keeping away unwanted guests such as Miss Shyling and that elf that tried to buy your kidney?’

  Vivian choked on the chicken she was swallowing. ‘What?!’

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  ‘Miss Shyling is a very unpleasant girl that shows up at our doorstep every once in a while, asking to meet Master Aiden,’ Bruz explained. A note of petulance entered his voice. ‘She is snobby, rude, generally unpleasant and I don’t like her. I don’t like her one bit.’

  ‘I was actually asking about that elf...’ Vivian mumbled.

  ‘That’s most nobles.’ Felix popped a piece of bread in his mouth.

  ‘If you say so sir.’ Bruz sighed as he filled up the glasses with water. ‘If those people are the nobility in charge of governing your country, I fear for the human race.’

  ‘Yes, yes,’ Aiden said impatiently. ‘It’s a wonder we aren’t extinct yet. Now do you mind, we would like to eat.’

  Bruz set down the water jug with a huff. ‘So rude. I wonder if the academy has classes on manners… you should definitely sign up, sir.’

  ‘Bruz.’ Aiden looked like he had given up. ‘Please leave, I’m begging you.’

  ‘You don’t look like you’re begging, sir.’ Bruz drew himself up and stepped back. ‘Very well, I suppose I’ll stop the teasing here… for now.’ He looked at Vivian and Felix and gave a short bow to each. ‘Master Felix, Miss Vivian…’

  ‘Just Vivian is fine,’ Vivian replied. ‘I’m no lady.’

  ‘You are certainly more of one than any of the other girls that have visited so far.’ Bruz gave a small smile. ‘You’re also a friend and a guest of my master, so it is only right that I respect you accordingly.’ He leaned in a bit and whispered conspiratorially. ‘I’m also going to be using your name a lot to keep the other so-called ladies away from the house.’

  Vivian swallowed the stew she was eating. ‘I don’t think that’s a good idea.’

  Bruz shrugged. ‘Perhaps not for you, but it makes my life easier. My thanks and apologies in advance.’ Bruz whirred around in a flurry of coattails and left before Vivian could protest any further.

  Vivian looked back at Felix and Aiden. ‘I feel like I will be getting a lot of undeserved hate from a bunch of strangers.’

  ‘You will.’ Felix let out a bark of laughter. ‘Oh, I love that goblin. He sows chaos so easily wherever he goes… Wonder if he takes students.’

  Aiden’s eyes widened slightly in alarm. ‘You’re chaotic enough already. Imagining you and Bruz teaming up.’ He gave a shudder. ‘I don’t want to think about it.’

  Vivian agreed with Aiden. ‘He’s right. I don’t think the world can handle that deadly combination.’

  ‘Well, I think we would have a blast.’

  ‘Yes, you would,’ Vivian agreed. ‘That’s the problem.’

  ‘You know, you don’t get to go around pointing fingers Miss-I-blew-up-a-lake-on-my-second-day.’ Felix wagged his finger at her. ‘If anything, you’re the most chaotic person here.’

  ‘It’s not like I did it on purpose!’

  ‘And that’s what makes it worse,’ Aiden said, switching sides and agreeing with Felix. ‘You’re accidentally chaotic. At least if you were doing it on purpose, I would feel content blaming you. But I can’t do that, can I?’

  Vivian pouted and stuffed a piece of bread soaked in delicious stew into her mouth. ‘Oh, I’m sorry, did you want the woods to go up in flames?’

  ‘The woods would’ve been fine. The council was already on their way to contain the fire.’ Aiden slathered some butter on a piece of bread. ‘You just jumped in before they could, head first straight into a literal fire.’

  ‘In all seriousness, did you even have a plan?’ Felix asked. ‘Or did you just run towards a raging fire with no thought whatsoever?’

  ‘A plan?’ Vivian snorted. ‘I didn’t even know I could use my magic like that, let alone make it a part of a plan. Honestly, it was all a happy accident that it all worked out the way it did.’

  ‘Thanks to us,’ Aiden pointed out. He sighed. ‘It’s going to be a long five years.’

  Vivian suddenly remembered what they were talking about before Bruz had come in with lunch. ‘About that, I meant to ask, how exactly are you planning to avoid Sentinels and the like after you return? They didn’t seem like the kind to turn a blind eye to magic just because you’re nobles.’

  Felix looked up. ‘You’ve met Sentinels? How did you escape?’

  ‘Peri,’ was the simple answer she gave. ‘I would’ve been sold for some sort of exotic pet to fight in some arena if Peri didn’t come and save me.’

  ‘Well, there you go.’ Aiden took a gulp of water. ‘That’s your answer. The Sentinels leave us alone as long as we participate in their gladiatorial fights. It’s a deal that all noble families make when they find out that there is a mage in the family.’

  ‘That’s… horrible.’

  Felix shrugged. ‘It is what it is. You know, despite the ban on magic, most noble families are happy when a mage is born into them. After all, magic is a form of power, and who doesn’t love power…’

  Aiden hummed in agreement. ‘And they get to keep that power secret as long as they send their mages to fight in the Sentinel’s arena… along with a few sizable donations.’

  ‘So, what I’m understanding is that you two will be returning to your families in five years’ time to be used as their secret weapon which if they want to keep secret, they have to pay the Sentinels as well as make you compete in their arena fights for the entertainment of other nobles… And I thought my future looked bleak.’

  Felix spread his arms in a grand gesture. ‘Welcome to noble society. We love doing the things we tell others not to.’

  ‘There’s no point worrying about it now.’ Aiden set down his glass that he was clutching a bit too tightly, tight enough for it to have cracked. ‘We will just have to deal with it when it happens.’

  ‘Right, let’s just change the subject.’ Felix suggested. ‘How about our work in the woods. I’m almost finished with outlining the borders. What next?’

  Vivian thought for a moment. ‘We could ask the fairies where they leave their silk? Sith said that she should receive my trade license today.’

  ‘That’s great! We might as well get started then.’ Felix wiped his mouth with a napkin. ‘Let’s go speak to the fairies after lunch and ask them.’

  And so with this plan in mind, they headed for the Secret Garden Bookshop after lunch. The shop only had one customer when they arrived who soon left.

  ‘Oh, it’s you three!’ Miss Vyn flitted over to them. ‘How can I help you children?’

  ‘Hello Miss Vyn,’ Vivian greeted. ‘I’m sorry I couldn’t come last week. I was a bit busy.’

  Miss Vyn shook her head. ‘No need for apologies. Cyrus dropped by and explained why you couldn’t come.’ A look of curiosity gleamed in her eyes. ‘Did you really blow up the lake?’

  ‘Uh, yes, yes I did.’

  Miss Vyn whistled low. ‘Must have been quite the explosion. We heard the sound all the way here.’ She nodded at Irie who was lazily drifting around overhead. ‘Startled Irie right off one of the top shelves. Barely caught himself before he hit the ground.’

  Irie turned upright with his hands on hips, a bit miffed. ‘You’re lucky that I had wings, otherwise I would be demanding compensation.’

  Vivian rubbed her head sheepishly. ‘Sorry.’

  Miss Vyn gave him a threatening glare. ‘The only reason you were up that high was because you were hiding from me while taking a nap… if anyone’s asking for compensation, it’ll be me.’

  Irie stuck his tongue out her and flew off, probably to go take another nap. Miss Vyn shook her head as he zoomed off. ‘What am I going to do with him…?’ She turned back to Vivian and gave a small smile. ‘Well anyway, that’s my problem. How about you? Are you all right now?’

  ‘I’m fine, barely a scratch.’

  ‘Actually, we came to talk about the fairy silk that we mentioned the last time we were here,’ Felix said, getting the conversation back on track. ‘So, are you interested in the offer?’

  Miss Vyn landed on the counter, her wings folding behind her back as she did so. ‘Yes, I have discussed it with the others in my village. We find the offer lucrative and are willing to enter into the deal, provided we split the profits evenly.’

  ‘Hold on now. ‘Felix stepped forward, taking over the conversation. ‘That doesn’t seem quite right. An even split? Seeing as we are the ones doing all the work, that doesn’t seem fair.’

  Miss Vyn drew herself up to her full height, which was only about six inches. ‘Seems fair to me. The fairy silk belongs to the fairies.’

  ‘And they will remain lost deep in the woods if we didn’t retrieve them, seeing as how we’re the only ones who can retrieve them,’ Felix replied. ‘We’re the ones who has to transport, store and sell the goods. Not to mention the fact that the Druscan woods are filled with dangerous creatures, so there has to be a hazard pay.’

  Miss Vyn tapped her shoe rhythmically, considering his words for a moment. ‘Very well then. What did you have in mind then?’

  ‘An eighty-twenty split. We take the eighty, of course.’

  ‘Are you serious? That’s not an offer, that’s a joke. Sixty-forty,’ she counteroffered.

  ‘Seventy-five-twenty-five.’

  Miss Vyn pursed her lips. ‘Seventy-thirty. Last offer. Take it or the silk can remain where it is.’

  Felix gave a respectful nod. ‘Very well, we have an agreement. A seventy-thirty split after taxes.’ He nudged Vivian forward to close the deal. With her mouth still a bit agape with awe she extended a pinkie finger for Miss Vyn to shake.

  ‘I look forward to doing business with you.’

  Vivian was unsure how to respond in this situation, so she went with, ‘Um, pleasure’s mine?’

  Miss Vyn let go of Vivian’s finger, her arms settling back on her hips. ‘The Changing Grounds is right next to our village so please be careful when you make your way there. Try not disturb them too much. The elder of our village is a grumpy, old fairy. He won’t be happy with your presence.’

  ‘Oh, will that be a problem?’ Vivian asked worriedly.

  Miss Vyn waved a hand dismissively. ‘All he can do is grumble. Since the majority of the village has agreed to this, he has no right to stop you. So don’t worry… I can spare someone this weekend to show you the way… now who should I send?’

  Her eyes alighted on Irie who was sleeping in a book nook in one of the trees. A glint of mischief entered her eyes as she smiled. ‘I’m sure Irie wouldn’t mind showing you the way.’

  ‘That fairy is a glutton for punishment,’ Aiden muttered.

  A bell rang as someone entered the shop, and Miss Vyn’s attention shifted to the new customer. ‘I have to go. So, I will see you all here on Sunday.’

  Vivian nodded. ‘Thank you for your time, Miss Vyn.’ She turned to Aiden and Felix. ‘Shall we leave?’

  ‘Yes, let’s’ Aiden replied shortly, already turning towards the door. But they had barely made it six steps outside the shop when the door was swung open and hurried footsteps followed behind them. A voice called out behind them.

  ‘Master Aiden!’

  ‘Oh no,’ Aiden groaned. ‘No, not today. Not any day.’

  A girl with dark brown hair and sharp green eyes was striding towards them, a cordial smile on her face and a glint of anticipation in her eyes. Aiden instinctively took a small step behind Vivian, using her as an impromptu shield between himself and the approaching figure. The action didn’t go unnoticed as the girl’s smile immediately hardened into something more strained.

  ‘Hello Miss Shyling,’ Felix intercepted her, sensing the danger. ‘How lovely to see you this fine morning.’

  The strained smile never left her face. In fact, it became more contorted as she reluctantly turned to address Felix. ‘Yes Master Felix, it is indeed a fine morning. I hope you don’t mind my rudeness, but I wish to speak to Master Aiden alone.’

  ‘Actually, we are a bit busy. There are a few things we need to attend to.’

  ‘All three of you?’ Her glare fixed itself on Vivian, sharp green eyes studying her from head to toe. ‘What business could you have with the likes of her?’

  Vivian swallowed and stood stock still. She was wondering when this class disparity between herself and the others was going to rear its ugly head.

  ‘The urgent kind.’ Felix’s voice had grown quite cold as he spoke. ‘I’m afraid you’ll have to meet with Master Aiden another day.’

  Her eyes narrowed. ‘I am sure that Master Aiden is more than capable of speaking for himself.’

  ‘He’s right, we do need to go,’ Aiden finally spoke up. ‘Perhaps another time.’

  She clenched her hands into fists but said nothing. Finally she let out a huff. ‘Very well, another time then.’ She shot one last look of contempt at Vivian before striding back into the bookshop.

  The moment she disappeared, the three of them heaved a collective sigh of relief.

  ‘Come on, let’s go.’ Aiden turned around and strode down the street.

  ‘Where are you going?’ Vivian pointed back over her shoulder. ‘Your home is that way.’

  ‘I need to hide, just for a little while. Let’s go to your place. No one will come looking for me so close to the woods.’ He walked away briskly without so much as a backward glance. Vivian and Felix exchanged a look and jogged to catch up with him.

  Why do I feel like I just made an enemy today?