• tab Felitia headed slowly down the stone staircase towards the dining hall. In her hand she held the silk scarf Jared had used as a sling for her injured arm. Looking at it closely she noticed intricate embroidery in the light material. The undulating waves and curls created a mystifying pattern and made the scarf seem all the more delicate and beautiful.
    tab I really hope I haven’t got it dirty. It would be a real shame if I did. It is very exquisite, just look at that pattern. I’ve never seen anything like this before. It’s like it comes from a whole different culture or historical period. She entered the dining hall and spotted Jared sitting alone.
    tab “So the nurse fixed you up,” he said as he saw her approaching.
    tab “Yeah, should be fine in a few days.” Once again she avoided making eye contact with Jared. That day had been so full of emotions she was finding it extremely difficult to discern which one was which, let alone suppress them.
    tab We almost kissed. That was serious. I don’t want our friendship to be to go that far. I just want us to be happy together; laugh and joke with each other like friends do. She was so embarrassed that it was almost unbearable to look into his cute aquamarine eyes. Yet she felt as if she could never be happy if she were ever separated from him for even a minute.
    Awkward silence. Dammit, say something! He’ll guess something’s up.

    tab “Something the matter? You look a little uneasy,” he asked, noticing that she didn’t look as lively as usual.
    tab “Yeah, fine,” she said, daring to look at him. “Just a little nervous. The class should be back by now; Remsum will be stalking me. I dread to think how he’s gonna punish me.”
    tab “Well he won’t punish you when he finds out the truth,” Jared said trying to encourage her.
    tab “Maybe.” She bit her lip.
    tab She pulled the silk scarf out of her dress pocket (a very useful idea that her mother had thought of when getting the tailor to make Felitia’s dresses).
    tab “Here, you forgot this.” She held it out.
    tab “Oh, right, that.” He took it delicately from her hand as if it were a priceless treasure, and gazed at it admirably, like it had a deep purpose.
    tab She doesn’t know.
    tab “Thanks,” he said trying to sound grateful. Sooner or later I’m going to have to give it to her, and it wouldn’t be much point if she doesn’t know the symbolism. But, no! I can’t, not now. Well I suppose she doesn’t have to know, not yet anyway. He was about to open his mouth when…

    tab “Ah, Miss Rosewood. I trust you haven’t forgotten about our little talk. I for one think I may even enjoy dealing with this little incident.” Remsum stood overbearingly behind Felitia like a formidable dragon. She could almost feel the heat of hot embers from his nostrils.
    tab "No, sir, I haven’t. I’ve been dreading it for quite a while now,” she gulped.
    tab “You had better be. My office, as soon as you have finished eating, understood?!”
    tab “Yes, sir.”
    tab “Good.” He strode out of the dining hall.
    tab Felitia groaned, running her hand over her head and fiddling with a strand of hair. She stared into the distance for a moment, then picked up her spoon and dipped it in her soup taking a small sip.

    tab Okay, if I’m going to give her the scarf I’m shouldn’t rush in. Don’t make it seem too obvious; neither should I just suddenly do it without any notice. Try to lead into it; start a conversation.
    tab “So, how are you going to do it?” he asked.

    tab “Hm?” She obviously had her mind on other things.
    tab “Convince, Remsum that you’re innocent,” he elaborated.
    tab “Honestly, I have no idea,” she said dismally, staring deep into her soup, as if the answers would appear magically in the red, herby liquid. Having drawn no inspiration, she began to wonder whether standing up for the truth was such a good idea or if it would just get her into even more trouble than she was already in.
    tab “You know, maybe we should forget about this whole convincing Remsum I’m innocent business.”

    tab Jared almost choked on his spoon.
    tab “What! Why?” he asked.
    tab “Well, I mean it’s not like he’s going to believe me. As far as he’s concerned, I’m just the troublemaking daughter of a mad woman.”
    tab “That’s not true! You’re not troublemaking, it’s all been set ups and people giving you a rough time. And your mother is certainly not mad.”
    tab “Really? Everyone else seems to think so,” she said glumly.
    tab “Well they’re all wrong. And if Remsum doesn’t believe you, he’ll have me to deal with!” Jared said triumphantly. This drastically altered Felitia’s pessimism. She smiled to herself.
    tab “You’d really do that for me?”
    tab Oh heck! This is getting too intimate. What do I say now?
    tab “Uh, why not? You’re my friend, so, why not?” He scratched the back of his head bashfully. She rested her chin on her arm and raised one eyebrow, suspiciously, still smiling.
    tab “Oh, I don’t know. I thought, maybe…”
    tab Oh gods! She’s on to me!
    tab “….Never mind,” she teased.
    tab Phew! She almost frightened the life out of me there. Her jokes can be so convincing. tab Felitia continued playing with her soup.
    tab “I’m not really that hungry.”
    tab “What, after all that went on today?”
    tab “Surprising how teachers can make you loose your appetite.”
    tab “Surprising,” Jared repeated.
    tab “So, d’you reckon I’m up for it?” she asked optimistically, standing up to leave.
    tab “What, now?!” he exclaimed.
    tab “Yes, now! Might as well make the most of now.” She started walking towards the door.
    tab “But I haven’t finished eating,” he complained as he left his chair. Felitia grabbed his wrist and dragged him out of the dining hall.
    tab “Come on! I don’t know, boys and their food.”
    tab Guess I’ll have to wait for another time to give her the scarf.

    *****


    tab They stood outside Remsum’s office silently. Felitia was thinking, pacing as she thought.
    tab I need a strategy. Let him have the first word. Wait until his speech is finished, then approach slowly. You don’t want to seem disrespectful. Just relax; the words will just come to you like they usually do. She took a deep breath, then stood straight and confident.
    tab “I think I’m ready.” She raised her hand to knock on the thick wooden door.

    tab “Wait!” interrupted Jared. No! I didn’t mean to say that! Urhh… He took the silk scarf out of his pocket “I…I wanted to…give you this.” He held out the scarf, cringing. Felitia took it gently from his hands.
    tab “The scarf,” she said bewildered.
    tab “Um, yeah,” he said, scratching the back of his head.
    tab “I presumed it was yours, so I gave it back to you,” she said, slightly confused.
    tab “Well, it was actually meant for you all along.”
    tab “It’s so beautiful. I couldn’t possibly…”
    tab “Take it. It’s an Old Angelic…” I can’t tell her. “…good luck charm,” he lied.
    tab “What is it with you and Angels?” she laughed.
    tab Aah! No! I didn’t mean for it to go this far. I knew this was a bad idea. No one was supposed to find out.
    tab “But, thank you. I’m gonna need it.” She smiled at him.
    tab Oh, thank the gods, it was just another joke. Honestly, if she keeps doing that I’m going to have a heart attack. But, she believed me. I can’t believe I lied to her. Someday I’ll tell her.
    tab Felitia took a brave step toward the door and knocked.
    tab “Come in,” came a muffled reply from the other side. She stepped back, biting her lip apprehensively. She took a hold of Jared’s hand and squeezed it, then opened the door slowly. Jared stepped to one side as not to be seen by Remsum but so he could still eavesdrop.

    tab Felitia deliberately left the door slightly ajar after she had entered, providing Jared with a means of listening in on the conversation that was about to take place. She surveyed the candlelit room around her, observing the various framed maps, tapestries and painted portraits mounted on the wall. Ahead of her, she could see Remsum lounging behind his desk, piles of parchment stacked high around him. He took off his spectacles and stood up.
    tab “Ah, Miss Rosewood.”
    tab Oh, boy. Here we go again.
    tab “I’m sure you know why you are here, do you not?”
    tab “Yes, sir. It is to do with the little incident in the forest today, sir,” she said solemnly, eyes averted to a map of Elvenrealm hanging on the wall to the side.
    tab “This is about no ‘little incident’!” Remsum bellowed, banging his fist on the desk. A pile of papers toppled over onto the floor.
    tab You just contradicted what you said earlier at dinner time.
    tab “Pick those up!” he spat; taking into no consideration that Felitia only had one hand to spare.
    tab Yes, sir. Whatever you say, sir. Would you like you like me to scrub the floor while I’m at it, sir? Oh, that’s right; you’d never have me do anything because you think I’m a useless troublemaker. Just as useless as my useless mum, isn’t that right? No good to rule my own throne, don’t you think? Well you’ve got a whole new world to explore. You just wait; let me surprise you. I’ll teach you a thing or two, mister. You’ll rue the very day you were born; you’ll regret you ever treated me like a parasite. One day; you just wait.
    tab She plonked the papers back on the desk and dusted her hand on her dress. Standing back in the position she just was, she waited in silence for Remsum to continue his speech.
    tab “As I was saying, this is about no little incident. You could have been seriously injured. It was an extremely dangerous and irresponsible action…”
    tab Will you please cut it out with repeating yourself! It just makes you look even more stupid.
    tab “…What were you thinking?! Attempting a jump like that, it is completely idiotic. I bet even the finest horseman wouldn’t be able to jump that tree…”
    tab Exactly what I said to Ganymede.
    tab “…If you were to be killed, there would be no remaining heir to the throne of Rosewood…”
    tab Don’t act like you care. You would be rejoicing if I died.
    tab “…You have a duty to your province and right now it seems to me as if everything in your power to see that that duty is not fulfilled…”
    tab No, you are the one who is doing everything in your power to make sure that my life at the Academy is a living hell! And don’t give me the whole duty speech again; I’ve heard it too many times.
    tab “…Carry on like this much more and you are going to get yourself deemed redundant…”
    tab All the gods and departed spirits have mercy on me!
    tab “…You shame your family…”
    tab How dare you! If I shame my family, then you make yours look like a pack of bloody fire nymphs!
    tab “…Almost as much as your wretched mother.”
    tab She had made a good effort to keep her emotions hidden so far. But this really was the final straw. Her eyes stared Remsum right through, cold and furious.
    tab You will regret that you ever said that! I’d kill you right here and now if it weren’t for the fact that I would be banished if I did.
    tab Remsum sensed her uncontrollable rage; it was like a pungent smell to his nose, like a thick blend of toxic chemicals and pure evil.
    tab “Weakling! You can’t even hide your own emotions. No ruler would ever reveal his true feelings. People will sense it and know they are weak. And then what, hm? Your people will begin to doubt you, thinking you are not strong enough to rule them. There will be rebellious uprisings. And then what next, civil war? And all because of a weak ruler who cannot suppress their feelings. I say, if it wasn’t for Orin, bless his soul, your kingdom would be in shambles.”
    tab You just have to keep on bringing up Mum. Well I say to you, it’s your type of people who ruined her life; you’re the reason why our whole lives have been wrecked.
    tab Remsum slowly walked out from behind his desk. He turned away from her, facing a map of a certain province under a carved shield.
    tab I recognise that coat of arms, and that map. It’s Caimerode. I see no others like those around the room. You’re a Caimerodean! You’ve been listening to Ganymede all along just out of sheer favour for your province!
    tab “I really am struggling to come up with a suitable punishment for this ‘little incident’ of yours. Lucky for you I am a merciful man…”
    tab Merciful?! You’ve got to be kidding me.
    tab “…A letter will be sent to Orin, informing him about your appalling behaviour…”
    tab You’re acting like he’s my father or something. He’s only Mum’s chief advisor, but he acts like he rules the province. He never listens to Mum and always makes all the decisions for her like she’s stupid. I hate him, almost as much as I hate you.
    tab “…and, lets see, you shall be unable to participate in the upcoming Summer Solstice festival…”
    tab What?! No! That’s the biggest party of the year. That’s completely unfair!
    tab “…And next time you cause even the slightest bit more trouble, I will completely ignore the little voice that convinces me not to punish you as hard as I would like to…”
    tab Oh crap! If I don’t speak up soon, there won’t be another chance.
    tab “…Do I make myself clear?”
    tab “Yes, sir.” Come on! Say something.
    tab “And you can tell Jared that he disgraces himself associating with the likes of you.”

    tab Jared heard that, like everything else. Anger sparked in his mind, so fiercely he couldn’t control it even if he wanted to.
    tab Take that back, all of it, or I’ll kill you! You can’t talk to her like that. You fool! You complete and utter bloody fool! Can’t you see she’s innocent? She’s never done anything wrong, and I’m proud to be her friend!

    tab Remsum sensed a pang of anger from outside the room. He sniffed the air, smelling the toxicity of raw rage. He marched over to the door.
    tab No! He’s going to find Jared!
    tab He threw open the door grabbing Jared’s collar and dragged him inside.
    tab “You dare eavesdrop on me! You little swine!” The colour of his face morphed into burgundy and he threw Jared to the floor.
    tab Jared, no! She rushed to his side and helped him up.
    tab “I’m so sorry. I dragged you into this,” she apologised quietly.
    tab “Don’t be,” he groaned, winded from the fall. “It wasn’t your fault.” He looked hatefully up at Remsum who was standing overbearingly above them
    tab “Be silent! Both of you. I can’t stand anymore of this sickly self-righteousness you are throwing at me. As for you Jared, you will suffer the same punishment as Felitia.”
    tab No, this has gone so wrong.
    tab “Oh, what have we got here?” Remsum pulled the white silk scarf hanging loosely out of Felitia’s pocket.
    tab No, don’t take it away. It has nothing to do with the subject.
    tab “Ah, that’s interesting. This isn’t Elven. Where did you get it?”
    tab Felitia reached out her arm to snatch it back, but Remsum held it out of her reach like a bullying older brother would.
    tab I can’t let him take it. All artefacts of the Old Ages were ordered to be destroyed in the Reform. He’d destroy this as well if I let him confiscate it.
    tab “Answer my question!” Remsum bellowed.
    tab I can’t let him know the truth, but I can’t lie to him. That would just make me as bad as Ganymede. She opened her mouth to speak.
    tab “I gave it to her,” said Jared. Felitia looked at him in surprise.
    tab He would even protect me now, taking the blame upon himself.

    tab Jared stared back solemnly.
    tab I can’t let anything more happen to you today. This one’s on me. Don’t try to stop me.
    tab “I got it off a soothsayer back home,” he continued.
    tab “Then you’ll know what it is and what is symbolises.”
    tab “Yes,” Jared gulped.
    tab Remsum burst out laughing.
    tab “I must say, Miss Rosewood, you are literally the most stupid person I’ve ever had the misfortune to meet,” he guffawed in the most unpleasant manner.
    tab Felitia frowned.
    tab Just because she doesn’t know doesn’t make her stupid. You as a historian are one of the very few who do know. Consider yourself very fortunate.
    tab “I seem to be doing you a favour, Jared. Whilst the whole Academy is feasting and waltzing away in the Great Hall, you two will be spending midsummer’s night sitting in the common room alone together…”

    tab Felitia didn’t like where this was going.
    tab “…how perfectly… pleasurable,” Remsum smiled with an evil grin.
    tab Right, that’s it! You are so not getting away with that one. Time to get smart.
    tab “Sir,” she asked.
    tab “Yes, what is it?” he said, sounding fed up.
    tab “Would it hurt the slightest bit if I told my side of the story?”
    tab “I beg your pardon?!” he exclaimed.

    tab Jared smiled to himself.
    tab You’re doing beautifully Felitia; just keep it up and we’ll both be out of trouble soon enough.

    tab “Well how do you know what really happened if you weren’t there when it took place?” she reasoned.
    tab “I take Ganymede’s word on what happened,” he replied. He was starting to worry that he wouldn’t win this argument after all.
    tab “What if Ganymede lied?”
    tab “He didn’t lie! You recklessly tried to jump the fallen tree.”
    tab “You don’t know that for sure.”
    tab “Felitia, you are starting to sound very disrespectful,” he said low but powerfully.
    tab My days! How hard can you get! She shot a glance at Jared. Help me out here, please.

    tab “Sir, please just listen to her for once!” Jared almost shouted. Please, please!
    tab “Alright,” he gave in, slumping into his chair. “if you must.”

    tab Felitia smiled thankfully at Jared.
    tab I’ll have to thank him later.
    tab “We were following the rest of the class around the fallen tree and into the woods to the side of the path, as you instructed us to do. When we got to the tree, we were approached by Ganymede and Genevieve. Ganymede dared me to jump the tree, but I refused, knowing that it would be dangerous. We all heard you from the other side of the fallen tree and, not wanting to get into trouble for disobeying your orders, Ganymede concocted a suitable excuse. He spooked my horse causing it to rear up and throw me off, making out that I had been thrown off when I supposedly tried to jump over the tree. When you arrived and asked for an explanation, Ganymede lied to you. I sprained my wrist and cut my hand all because Ganymede was unwilling to take the blame for holding us back. I’m not the one who should be receiving the punishment. Neither should Jared; he was just being a good friend. So who are you going to believe, Ganymede, or me?”
    tab Remsum looked quite baffled. Admitting he was wrong was not something he was used to, neither was it something he was prepared to do.
    tab “That is certainly a very interesting story, one that Orin should be…intrigued to hear about…”
    tab “But it’s true, sir. Every word!” Jared cut in, much to the distaste of Remsum. He stood up suddenly sending the chair hurtling into the wall.
    tab “And I shall reconsider your punishments. In the meantime, get out!”
    tab “Sir, may I have the scarf back?” Felitia asked. Remsum picked it up and creased it in his palm.
    tab “This is a heathen artefact, Miss Rosewood. It must be destroyed.”
    tab “Sir, I am the one responsible for bringing it here,” Jared said. “I should be the one responsible for destroying it.”
    tab “Fine, but if I ever find that you didn’t destroy it, you will be in more trouble than you can imagine,” Remsum threatened. He slapped the scarf into Jared’s palm.
    tab “Be gone!” he ordered; and they did.

    tab Jared closed the door behind them.
    tab Relief!
    tab “Oh my gosh, yes! We did it!” Felitia giggled, elated, hugging Jared’s neck with her uninjured arm.
    tab Wow, I can’t believe it. For once, fortune has fallen on our side, and it feels amazing! He embraced her back.
    tab “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” she laughed and let go.
    tab “Well, it was practically all you. What are you thanking me for?” he said humbly.
    tab “No way. You were the one who convinced me to tell Remsum the truth. And you stuck up to me just then when things weren’t going well. And all that you did today; you tried to protect me from Ganymede, you bandaged my hand and rode me back to the Academy. And you gave me the scarf; I could go on forever. So don’t you tell me you’ve done nothing mister.”

    tab She almost felt like crying.
    tab How can he say he’s done nothing? How can he not realise that I’m grateful for so much that he’s done? How can he tell me not to thank him, it’s completely preposterous! Please, Jared, just this once, take my thanks seriously, not like you don’t deserve it.


    tab “You would’ve done the same thing for me,” he insisted.
    Well minus the almost kissing part, obviously. You don’t have to keep on thanking me, Felitia. It’s the least I can do for the girl I’m crazy about. I hate glory and fame and honour. As long as I know I’ve done something right, it doesn’t matter whether people recognise it at all.

    tab Felitia thought deeply about what he had just said.
    tab Maybe at the time I wouldn’t of. But now, after all he’s done for me, I’ll do anything to repay him. Well, almost anything. Today we got closer, but we’re still just good friends. I’ll give him more slack, but not too much. He may like me so much that he would want to go as far as kissing me, but he has to understand that I don’t like him in the same way. I think he already knows that, to a certain extent, but I think sometimes he may need a bit of reminding.
    tab They were in the common room now. It was late and everyone else had already gone to their dormitories.
    tab “Well, I’ll be heading off to my dorm now, so, yeah, se ya tomorrow,” said Felitia about to turn round and head up the staircase.
    tab “Wait, the scarf,” Jared cut in as she started to walk away from him.
    tab “Oh, yes.” She walked slowly back. “What are we going to with it? Remsum is expecting you to destroy it,” she asked, concerned.
    tab Jared placed it delicately in her hands.
    tab “You keep it; it is yours. And if Remsum ever finds out, I’ll take the blame.” He smiled to her, then started to walk away up the staircase.

    tab Then Felitia did something even she found unexpected. She grabbed his wrist; he turned round.
    tab “Thanks again for everything you did today,” she said (that wasn’t the unexpected part).
    tab “Oh, come on, you don’t have to thank me agai…”
    tab She kissed his cheek.
    tab “See ya tomorrow,” she said cheerfully as she headed up the stairs.
    tab Oh my word, did I really just do that?

    tab “Yeah, see ya…tomorrow,” he replied sounding very startled. He touched his cheek where she had just kissed him.
    tab “Wow,” he whispered to himself, beaming.

    tab Felitia opened the door to her dormitory slowly. It creaked a little and one of the girls stirred in her bed. She crept silently over to her bed and picked up her pyjamas, toothbrush and flannel.
    tab No time for a bath; I’ll wake up early tomorrow.
    tab She came out ready for bed in her favourite silk pyjamas and hopped into bed.
    tab Wow, it certainly has been some day.
    tab She went to sleep smiling.