"Christopher."

Stephanie's voice makes you look up and stop your mental doom spiral. "Lady Stephanie." You acknowledge her and stand up.

She isn't looking at you. Her eyes are roaming around as if the viewing stand was full of people and she was looking at them. You followed her gaze but didn't see anyone. You felt different. As you turned your head it felt looser. You pulled your aura back inside yourself and shot a look at Stephanie.

She was fixing you with a determined glare. Well as it turns out your aura is going to be the thing that gets you kicked out of the academy, can't say you aren't surprised. You're average with a presumed disadvantage you have no place here.

"Stop." Stephanie's command only made you slow down. "Christopher you are going to remain seated for the lesson, at the end once the other students are gone you are going to list every mistake they made, for each mistake you miss–"

"You'll hit me with your sword I know." You stop walking wondering why she had even asked you to attend. Actually why wonder. "Why am I here? Why invite a man to your class?" You feel the bitterness in your last question. Had you ever been bitter in this world before?

"You will know after the class end." Stephanie said then pointed at the spot you had been sitting in. "Sit."

You look at the spot and sigh, not like you have anywhere else to be. Being around Edin feeling as you do, it was hard to think of it as anything less then burdening him, he has his own problems, and they were bigger than what you going through. You sat down and waited.

"Your aura." Stephanie started before pausing, "Did you show Yeven Coas and the others?"

Yeven Coas was one of your combat instructors, you told Stephanie about them the first time you'd met. "No, only Hertan Duen, she insisted." Being **** to show your aura hadn't been a comfortable experience for, and now you'd show it to Stephanie on accident.

Stephanie looked at you a moment longer before turning away and walking to the equipment storage. You leaned back in the seat and watched the sky. There were a few clouds floating through the sky. You recalled they didn't as nice as you'd assumed. When you'd got flight as down as you could, flying up and taking a bite out of a cloud sounded fun. All it tasted like was cold water, and not very nice tasting cold water at that.

You felt people approaching, two of which were familiar. Vatarie and Anastasia, they were both attending this class. When they got near their eye fell on you. You could feel their surprise at your presence along with their happiness for it. "Christopher," Anastasia said warmly. "coming to class just to spend more time with me I see." You looked down from the sky feeling the fake smile at her presence slide across your face as you did. You still had appearances to keep up. Magic is out your grasp but that's just one subject, pissing of Anastasia was still a bad move.

"Always happy to–"

"He is here at my invitation. Take your place in the court." Stephanie interrupted getting another surprised reaction from the two nobles. "And in this class you do not speak unless you are spoken to."

The fact she was speaking like that to the Princess seemed to shock Anastasia into compliance. She and Vatarie walked onto the packed dirt and stood waiting.

You felt a larger group of students approaching, all women. When they saw you they all felt surprise, it wasn't comforting that the presence of a man at this class was earning such universal surprise. However, to be fair that could be because you were sitting on the viewing stand, they probably weren't expecting an audience. Stephanie gave them the same order she had given to Anastasia and Vatarie and they all complied. There were eleven standing in a line with Anastasia on one end.

Then you felt a familiar presence. Lady Asune stalked towards the training field, not reacting to your presence and taking her place standing next to Anastasia.

"I have a strict rule in my classes, I only teach the best and I only start with twelve, you twelve have proven to have potential." Stephanie said walking down the line of women. "At the end of this class I will assign you a number, whoever is number thirteen will be removed from the class." The assembled women looked confused for a moment before their eyes fell on you. Oh so you were going to be used as a punching bag. What a wonderful academy. "If you hold the number seven or high you have the right challenge an opponent to a duel, if you win you will receive their number. If you hold six or lower you cannot challenge anyone for this class."

Stephanie looked up and down the line. You could see the almost all the assembled aura's confusion resolve as they conclusion, you were going to be number thirteen, and you were going to be kicked out at the end. Well you aren't going to sit here and and wait for the inevitable ass handing, Stephanie can try and get you expelled if she wants. You go to stand when you see Lady Asune.

She isn't looking at you with the confidence everyone else is, she was looking at you with excitement. You doubted she'd be getting a number above six so she shouldn't be able to challenge you, it could be she just wanted to see you get beaten up for rejecting her but you doubted it, giving up in two days seems a bit out of character. You recalled her appearance yesterday morning while you were running through your routine, she'd seen a bit of it so she had an idea of how slow you would be compared to the women here, and yet there was excitement.

"We will begin running forms, once you are unable to keep up sit at the edge of the court. Get your swords." At Stephanie's command the women hurried over to grab a sword from the equipment rack. Both Lady Asune and Vatarie made a show of allowing Anastasia to take her sword first. Anastasia clearly enjoyed the deference but didn't delay in her selection. It was a little surprising none of these woman had their own swords for this. Probably a part of Stephanie's assessment, to see if they would take a new sword as naturally as their own.

The twelve women took up arms and stood in the court spacing themselves out automatically facing Stephanie. She looked at her student. You could see the one who weren't comfortable with their blade, top of the list was Vatarie. She must be used to unarmed, you hoped she would be able to keep up.

Stephanie began with the basics running through them not quickly but not slowly either. The student followed along with her in perfect unison. Even Vatarie was able to keep up the fast but not rapid pace, though she was still awkward with her movements.

You focused on the forms of each student. Most were making the same mistakes, feet incorrectly planted, hands incorrectly gripping the hilt, or sword angled correctly. The only two who made no mistakes were, predictably, Lady Asune and Anastasia.

Stephanie kept going at the pace, time stretched on and minutes turned into an hour but she didn't slow. Students started to drop out, bafflingly they were panting. This much should make them pant, you can move at twice the pace for much longer without much effort. More importantly something wasn't right here. You'd experienced Stephanie's training enough that running through forms didn't seem to do much, especially since there would be duels, after, the ... oh, this isn't about copy some forms its about planning ahead.

An hour stretched into two and finally sweat started to bead on Stephanie's skin. There were only three students left, Lady Asune, Anastasia, and surprisingly Vatarie. Vatarie wasn't even close to as good as the other two but she was the only one who wasn't breathing heavily.

Stephanie came to a sudden halt. "Enough." She took a neutral stance. "Back in the court." The students who had been sitting hopped up and took their places. Stephanie walked to the equipment rack and picked up a bag. She started walking amongst the students handing them number's on small stones. You saw her palm one, presumably your number thirteen but you didn't care about that. Something was wrong here, these were the twelve best but they could do this, you could do this.

"Thirteen will start the challenges."

"That isn't fair." One of the student said then pointed at you. "He hasn't had to do anything, I've been copying your for an hour."

"Yes and before that I told you you there would be duels, you knew you could be challenged and you chose to exhaust yourself running through forms rather than sit down and wait for your opponents to exhaust themselves." Stephanie explain calmly, so you were correct. "Combat is not fair, if you can find an advantage take it." She held up the last stone. "A number is meaningless, a peasant can kill a Queen with a well timed thrust. If you are seeking to impress me don't bother. I am not here to teach you to be soldiers I am here to teach you how to fight." She looks at you throws the stone. You grab it easily and look at the thirteen and require a double take, the stone has a one but there isn't a three after it. "Thirteen make you challenge, or leave."

You are so fixated on the stone in your hand you don't even look up to see who thirteen was. "Him." The voice makes you look up to see the student who had complained pointing at you.

Vatarie takes a step towards her and Anastasia opens her mouth but both are stopped by Stephanie. "That was the wrong choice. Christopher." She waves you over so you stand and approach not sure what is happening. "Who should she have challenge?"

You think about what Stephanie had already said. "Her Highness, Lady Vatarie or Lady Asune." You answer, "They were running the forms for longer than anyone and are tired. You come to a stop next to Stephanie. You are missing something here, something obvious but you can't put your finger on it.

"Correct." Stephanie looks at the three you just mention. "There is a difference between obeying an order and thinking for yourself, if you want to live, plan a head. Clear the court." The students quickly hurry to the viewing stand you had been sitting at, taking seats to watch.

Anastasia looked nervous, Vatarie was glaring at number thirteen and Lady Asune was smiling. The smiling was worrying.

"Begin on my mark." Stephanie said as you realised you didn't have a sword.