(A note hastily scribbled, filled with dozens of names, tons of them abbreviated. Midway down the page, a name stood out.)
Theodore Freckles' winnings.
Thirty gold placed. Three hundred gold won.
--------------------
The three arrived at the principal's office, with a chorus of students behind them. All muttering to themselves. They jeered amongst themselves.
"Oooo, they're in big trouble now!"
"Aldwyn never calls anyone to his office…"
"He is like… the nicest guy ever!"
Gwyn rolled her eyes at all the different mutterings going on. The three women entered the Dean's office and shut the door. The chattering didn't seem to stop the moment their presence was gone.
Dean Aldywn DeMeteor sat still. His appearance was neat and tidy, but his expression was full of disappointment. Three chairs were waiting for the women.
"Take a seat, all of you," he commanded.
They did as he asked.
Anastasia tried to plead.
"Listen, Mr. DeMeteor, sir, I had nothing to do with—"
"Silence!" He shouted. "Do you think me dumb, Ms. Everroote? Did you not think I found it suspicious you manipulated your father and me to adjust Gwyn's schedule so that you would have the same classes as her?"
Anastasia sat silently.
"Just so you could bully her? For what?" Aldwyn looked at Gwyn, then back to Ana. "I don't like the Chosen Ones as much as the next elf, but she has a limit on her life—unless she is useful to us. Don't cut this opportunity short." He stood up straight, towering over Ana. "Unless you are deciding you will be the one to kill the King of Terror?"
"No, sir…"
He held his long ear closer to her.
"What was that?"
"No, sir!" She repeated, much louder the second time. Her voice broke; she was clearly fighting tears.
"Good." He turned to Elise and Gwyn now. "My sources told me that you three hosted a little fight club."
Gwyn started.
"Well, yes, but…"
"But nothing." His face was deadly serious. "We are in a Gods-damned civil war!" He shouted. "We cannot have our own students hosting fighting tournaments! I don't know what has gotten into you or my staff, but this ends today!"
The three women felt small and embarrassed.
The Dean sighed.
"It's bad enough with the Wall shrinking every year, soldiers dying to the King of Terror, endlessly summoned apparitions." He looked down on the three students. "Now our students are causing chaos in the last bastion of a learned society." He shook his head. "Elise, Ana, step outside. I must speak to Gwynevere Grim privately."
Elise went to speak, but the Dean shut it down.
"I'll be just outside," Elise said softly and snuck Gwyn a quick kiss.
When the two were alone, the Dean stared daggers at the Chosen One.
"Now, Ms. Grim, please explain to me. How did you piss off the daughter of the most powerful man in all of Keceo?"
"I didn't do anything! Artero approached me!" Gwyn pleaded.
Aldwyn leaned back, smiling.
"Artero Kosmairian? Is that what this is about?"
Gwyn didn't respond. She bit her lip.
"Oh, so it's nothing! Anastasia is doing all of this for no reason! How stupid of me not to realize."
Gwyn's face turned red from embarrassment, but she still didn't speak.
"Spill the tea, Gwynevere." He looked eagerly at the young woman. "I've been around too long to be fooled by adolescent lies."
Gwyn sighed.
"I am dating her ex-boyfriend."
The Dean made a puzzled face.
"But… I saw you kiss Elise Sylvian, just now."
"Yes."
His puzzled expression continued.
"And you are also dating… Who?"
"Artero Kosmairian," she said quietly.
His eyes were full of surprise.
"Wait, wait, wait." He held out his hands. "You are telling me you aren't dating one Royal… but two?"
Gwyn slowly nodded.
The Dean was awestruck.
"I wasn't familiar with your game, Ms. Grim." He nodded thoughtfully. "I wasn't familiar at all."
Gwyn narrowed her brows.
"Thank you?"
He giggled furiously to himself at the spicy teenage drama.
"Well, that changes absolutely nothing for me." He placed a hand to his chest. "But that does provide some context to your situation." He nodded furiously. "Context indeed."
"So… am I in trouble?"
The Dean laughed.
"For the fight? Gods no… although you may have instigated the little fight club, I know you're too pathetic to do anything to the daughter of Archimedes Everroote."
Gwyn sat silently for a moment.
"Thanks?"
"You're welcome, but believe it or not. I was planning on calling you here anyway."
"Why's that?"
Why else could he have brought me here?
"Because of this." He stood and opened a drawer, pulling out a ring with vines slowly moving around its circular shape.
"My ring!"
The Dean's eyes went wide.
"So it is yours… Where in the nine Hells did you get this…" His voice was desperate, as were his eyes.
Gwyn suddenly felt fear, for she did not know what she had.
"It's... mine," Gwyn said, not technically lying.
"Yes, I know that, but how did it become like this?"
"Like what?"
He sighed deeply.
"A student found the ring after your scuffle with Anastasia. They pocketed it and tried to put it on, where it nearly took off their finger. The student went to the nurse's office in tears. The ring was confiscated and brought here."
"Okay..."
Gwyn looked at the ring. It was as she had left it. She effortlessly placed it on her finger.
"So it's true." He nodded. "Do you know what you have?"
"My mother's wedding ring?" Gwyn asked, confusedly.
He shook his head.
"It's a Divine Catalyst! The most powerful casting medium in all of Keceo… Whisperers will often forego their special, non-catalyst requirement just to use one of these…"
Gwyn was lost.
"So that's good?"
He let out a deep sigh.
"I feared it was yours."
"Why?" Gwyn exclaimed, her heart racing in her chest.
"I didn't know the names, but I recognized the 'Grim' at the end of them. I put two and two together and was going to call you at the end of the day, but… You had other plans," he said, gesturing to the door.
"What does that mean?"
"It means you have a highly sought-after relic, Ms. Grim. However, it is now bound to you. Hide it… don't hide it. It doesn't matter." He sighed deeply. "It's yours."
"Am I in trouble then?"
"A tremendous amount…" he said firmly. "But so is everyone else."
"What's my punishment?" Gwyn asked quietly.
"I should expel you," he said firmly. "But Gods be damned. You have some expensive tea. I feel the overall Kaldere Academy experience would be dampened for hundreds of students if you weren't here."
"So…"
"And since you had your arm broken by Anastasia yesterday, I will consider that punishment enough, for now."
"But… that doesn't solve the whole… Anastasia problem," Gwyn pleaded.
He nodded.
"I've already taken that into account. I hadn't noticed she is currently taking classes she has already completed, which isn't against the rules. But now I have made it so, and I have total discretion to remove someone from their class because… well…" he paused and laughed. "I'm the Dean! I can do whatever the hell I want."
Gwyn nervously laughed.
"Yeah…"
"I've notified her father of her behavior, although he hates you as much as I. He did give you a time limit for a reason, so… you are free to go."
"That's it?"
He nodded.
Gwyn slowly stood from the chair and turned for the door.
"Ah, one last thing, Gwynevere."
Gwyn turned back.
"Y-yes?"
"Don't mistake me, Ms. Grim. I still do not like you."
"Uh-huh…"
He smiled wickedly.
"But… you do bring some hot gossip to my school. So, I suspect hearing more drama, yes? You won't keep all these secrets to yourself, right?"
"Um… I won't sir… I'll…"
He sighed.
"Just get out."
And Gwyn didn't look back.