Chapter 9 - 8: Masks and Messengers
The carriages arrived just after sunrise.
Twelve of them. Each more polished than the last. Gold-trimmed wheels. House crests gleaming in the morning sun. Guards in formal armor lined the Academy courtyard, forming a narrow path between the gates and the main hall.
From the dormitory balcony, Alaric watched it all without speaking.
A student beside him whispered, "That's House Fenreth. And the blue one... I think that's from the north. Lord Balthis?"
Alaric didn't respond.
His eyes locked on the red and gold crest that appeared on the final carriage.
The symbol of House Veyron.
He recognized the woman who stepped out.
Lady Vestra Veyron.
His aunt.
Her smile was soft. Her gloves perfect. Her footsteps light on the stone as if she floated.