"Arion would come too."
Dean stared at Nero as if he had just personally insulted several branches of government.
"That," Dean said at last, "is not persuasive. That is blackmail with family comparison."
"Yes."
Sylvia, who had now become fully invested in this on the grounds that any situation described by a prince with that level of calm deserved witnessing, looked between them. "I would like the record to show that I support whatever gets us to the exam hall fastest."
Dean turned to her in betrayal. "Of course you do."
"You told me three days ago that university would either educate us or humiliate us. I've decided to be present for both."
"That was not an invitation."
Nero, having correctly judged that Dean's resistance had reached the stage where motion would work better than argument, simply turned and started walking. Which, infuriatingly, worked. Dean followed because refusing to follow after that would have looked like retreat, and Dean had standards.
