The training yard had been all business—packed dirt, wooden posts, and the smell of people sweating through a workout. But the dining hall was a total 110. It had these high, vaulted ceilings and candlelight that flickered against long tables made of dark, polished wood. It had that heavy, echoing quiet that makes you feel like you have to whisper. Apprentices started filing in from their first real sessions, some of them looking totally buzzed from discovering their powers, and others looking like they'd just been thoroughly humbled for the first time in their lives.
I ended up in the same food line as Drew. It didn't even feel like a coincidence—it felt like the room was just designed to push us together. We grabbed our bowls of soup—a thin but good-smelling broth with some bread—and found a spot at the end of a long bench, away from the bigger groups.
We didn't say anything for a few minutes.
I used the quiet to actually look at him. Drew Porter wasn't what I expected, though I wasn't really sure what I was looking for. The priest's story made him sound terrifying—the kind of guy whose power kept entire kingdoms from invading. I expected someone loud, or at least someone who took up a lot of space. But Drew was the opposite. He sat tall but relaxed, ate his food slowly, and hadn't wasted a single word since the ceremony. His silver-white hair was so wild I kept catching myself staring. When he wasn't talking, his face had that serious look you see on people who haven't learned how to fake a smile yet.
He's shy, I realized. Or just really guarded.
I was still trying to figure him out when he put down his spoon and looked at me. "Will you marry me when the year is over?"
I choked. Like, actually choked on my soup. I had to make a split-second, very un-ladylike decision to cough into my bowl so I didn't spray it all over him.
"Excuse me?" I managed to say, my eyes watering.
He repeated it as calmly as if he were confirming a meeting time. "Will you marry me when the year is over?"
I stared at him, totally baffled. "Why on earth would I do that?"
"Because it's the right thing to do."
I opened my mouth, shut it, and tried to be logical about this. "We've known each other for, like, four hours."
"There are three months left in the year," he said. "That's enough time."
"Time for what, exactly?"
"To be ready." He finally looked me right in the eye. They were a pale, silvery gray that matched his hair. "I need to reach my full power to guard the border. You need to reach yours. The blessing at the wedding speeds everything up. It's practical."
I sat there processing that. It was hands-down the least romantic proposal in history. But honestly? There was something kind of nice about it. No games, no fake lines. Just a guy seeing a problem and offering a solution.
"You're actually serious," I said.
"Yes."
"Protecting the border is the only thing that matters."
"Yes."
I nodded slowly. Before I could say anything else, Instructor Elias's voice cut through the noise. "To your rooms! Follow your seniors."
The room turned into a mess of scraping benches and loud voices. As everyone started moving, I leaned toward Drew and lowered my voice. "I'm a little nervous about staying near some of these guys."
He glanced over at a group of older apprentices who'd been staring at our end of the table with way too much interest. "I'll ask for a room nearby," he said, making it sound like no big deal.
"Thanks," I said. "I'm still double-locking my door, though."
"They all use the elements," he said flatly. "A lock won't do you any good."
I thought about that for a second. "Right. Wood, fire, metal... none of that cares about a lock." I paused. "Well, if anyone comes into my room uninvited, I'll shove a vine up their ass."
There was a beat of silence. Then Drew laughed—a short, surprised sound, like it had escaped before he could stop it. He pressed his lips together almost immediately, but the damage was done.
I smiled to myself and followed the crowd of apprentices toward the dorms.