The Skyhome Academy

Some time later, Rose’s family and their four household servants had gathered out in front of the manor to see Rose and her handmaiden off. Waiting in the driveway was an ornate horseless carriage. Another servant perched on top of it in the open-air driver’s seat, with a steering wheel before him. Rose’s father, who had left the group, was returning from the stables and leading his pegasus by the reins.

“Want to fly with me to the academy?” he asked Rose.

“You shouldn’t give her an excuse not to wear her dress,” her mother interrupted. She had changed her clothes since the mud incident.

“Don’t get me wrong, Dad,” Rose began. “I’m happy that you took the guard commander posting, and that I’ll get to see you all year. …⁠But it would be a little embarrassing to have you actually bring me there.”

“Fair enough. I suppose I’d better get in a big hug now so I don’t damage your social life later!” He did so, and Rose hugged him back before they parted.

“Be sure to greet Lord Jame when you see him,” her father reminded her.

“Couldn’t I just avoid him all year?”

“Rose, my having a strained relationship with his father doesn’t mean that you should continue the tradition. Lord Jame is going to be your liege someday.”

She reluctantly nodded, and he then approached his wife. “Are you still mad at me?”

“Not really.” Though Rose’s mother was pouting slightly.

“How do I look?”

“…⁠Dashing,” she admitted with a slight smile.

“Love you, Dear.” He gave her a gentle kiss.

“I love you too…” She then continued more quietly. “Thank you for not going back to the front lines.”

He nodded before looking to Aldus, who was fidgeting by his mother’s side. “I’m going to miss you, little guy. Be good for your mother.”

“I want to go up!” Aldus insisted, holding out his arms.

“Okay,” the mage said with a laugh. He used his telekinetics to float his son off the ground, provoking a shout of delight. He then plucked Aldus out of the air to give him a hug before setting him down.

After all this, Rose’s father climbed into the saddle of his white, winged horse. He buckled the saddle belt, waved to his family, and then snapped the reins.

“Bye!” Aldus shouted.

The pegasus galloped away and began flapping her wings. Soon the beast and her rider left the ground and flew off in a northerly direction.

Rose knew that it was time to say her goodbyes as well. “Take care, Mom. I’ll see you at the winter break.”

“We’ll come visit before then,” her mother assured her tearfully before they hugged.

The young noble then hugged her brother. “Bye, Aldus. Stay out of the mud—we don’t want all of mom’s hair to turn gray, do we?”

He giggled. “Bye-bye.”

Meanwhile, Emma hugged Old Bea. “I’ll miss you, Grandma. I’ll write every week!”

“I’m so proud of you. Take care.”

Emma and the remaining servants waved to each other. Then Rose met up with her beside the carriage.

“To the Skyhome Academy, my good man!” The driver had no doubt already been aware of their destination, but Rose had been too excited to resist shouting it to him.

“Yes, My Lady,” he replied in a dour tone.

The two girls entered the carriage and sat down. Both interior seats faced each other and were comfortable, which was fortunate—there was a three hour journey ahead of them. The magical vehicle soon sped quietly forward.

“This is it!” Rose cried in delight. “The first step toward becoming a mage.”

“I’m happy for you, My Lady. I can hardly wait to arrive myself.”

“You know, you might be a mage someday too. It’s not unheard of, if you were to win the favor of a high-ranking noble.”

“I wouldn’t qualify for magehood since I won’t be studying advanced offensive magic. I’d rather concentrate on healing and mana transfer.”

“My dad always says how important it is to have good support casters, so I’d appreciate it. But you shouldn’t feel like you have to go with that.”

“The truth is, the idea of hurting anyone really bothers me,” Emma said hesitantly.

“I understand. But even if you don’t become a mage, the Crown will pay for you to become a citizen after your five years of service. Then you can do whatever you want.” Unlike serfs, citizens could travel and work where they wished—but they could not directly own land or have command of serfs.

“I’d want to stay by your side, My Lady. Someone will have to patch you up if your battles get too dangerous.” Emma smiled.

“Thanks. I’d feel really confident with you to rely on.

“…⁠But you know, you shouldn’t forget that there’s another way for you to move up in society,” Rose added playfully. “There’s going to be a lot of young noblemen at the academy looking to meet the right girl.”

Emma shook her head. “Between all the studying and chores, I’m not going to have time for anything like that.”

Rose worried that her handmaiden lacked confidence in her appearance. Granted, her nose was slightly large, and Old Bea had not done a perfect job of cutting her hair. But the noble was sure that some boys would find her cute.

“You’d have time for dating if my parents were willing to pay extra to release you from being an academy servant,” Rose noted sourly. “How cheap can you get?”

“I don’t look at it that way, My Lady,” Emma said nervously. “It was kind of them to allow me to take classes at all.”

By this time, it was evident through the windows that the carriage was leaving Smallport behind. Cozy houses gave way to farmland as the concrete road bore them from the ocean. The light traffic included horse-drawn carts, with bicyclists riding in their own lanes.

Meanwhile, Emma was quick to change the subject. “But let’s not worry about things that can’t be changed. You’ll be the one with free time—so it’s your romantic life we should be thinking about.” She took on a conspiratorial tone. “I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for the prince.”

Rose laughed nervously. “Thanks. But I don’t think he’ll notice me today—there’s going to be a lot of girls in fancy dresses.”

“I wouldn’t worry. I think you’ll really stand out.”

“Maybe. I still wish I could have worn my uniform—I want Prince Robert to see me as an aspiring mage instead of a socialite. I’ll bet someone so concerned with saving the kingdom would rather meet a girl who could help him.”

“It’s hard to say. We only know of him by reputation.”

“That’s true. …⁠But you know what I’d like most? To find a man willing to fight with me, side-by-side against evil. That would be romantic!”

“I’m sure you’ll find someone to make that wish come true,” Emma reassured her. Rose could only hope.