You think it goes well

You were standing with Edin at the entry to the hall. Every other guy had already been introduced leaving you the two of you left. You really wanted to watch them so you could get an idea of what you are supposed to do but the moment you took a step out of the line the Attendant glared at you.

"Just breathe." Edin softly said to him.

"You'll do great." You say as reassuringly as you can. He mumbled a response but didn't say anything audibly back. "At least your aura looks amazing." You try and laugh out still unable to ignore the fact you were the only one without one, even if that is by your choice.

"Thanks, it took me so long to figure out how to get the ripples right." He looked over his shoulder to smile at you. You noticed that the movement actually did make his aura ripple like waves as he did. "Um I could teach–" before he could finish the offer you would have to refuse he was interrupted.

"Master Edin of Cleita Bay." Edin spun and practically jumped forwards into the hall and out of your sight.

You'd studied as much geography as you could and Cleita Bay was a long way from here. You'd assumed this debut was for local nobles not ones that traveled. That meant that debuts were rare and worth quite a distant travel for or perhaps he was a ward of a local noble.

Your mind continued to wonder as you waited. Right up until you felt Jason on his way. You turned to look at him and saw he was wearing his trousers again but his new buttons didn't have the aura enchantment leaving a tiny but visible gap. That was odd, the enchantment should have adapted or at least someone should have noticed it. A tingle of possibility tantalizingly entered your mind. You had been toying with how your disintegration spell would effect other magic, this might suggest your toying was in the right direction.

"You are dead." He said quietly standing behind you but not doing anything else. You presume it was because the Attendant was here rather than him not being willing and able to escalate.

You swallowed hoping that this debut would be over quickly and you could retreat back to your father's estate. Do you really have to attend the Royal Academy? You could just keep learning as you are couldn't you? You still hadn't learned how to manage the estate itself so that could take up some years.

"–of Alsera." That was your home so you it must be you. The Attendant glared at you so you quickly stepped into the hall.

It was not what you were expecting. It was not even close to what you were expecting. Why had nobody mentioned that this is what is happening.

This wasn't a hall were you are introduced and greet some people before taking a seat somewhere. You were staring down what looked eerily similar to a model's runway. A long raised platform stretched before you, either side lined with sitting women talking to each other, sipping drinks and eating.

Your heart was pounding and you couldn't breathe.

Is what a panic attack feels like?

This is way too much, you didn't even know how to talk to a few teenagers how could you be expected to do this?!

Why hadn't your father told you about this?

Then the aura displays made sense, this was a runway showing. Your dad must have been trying to be kind by not telling you, knowing you couldn't show your aura he didn't want you to freak out before this.

As you stood frozen at the entry you felt more people turn to look at you and the din of the hall quieted. Apparently freezing in place was something worth watching. Honestly you probably had the exact same thing in your mind as they had in theirs. Are you going to run away, stay frozen until someone comes to move you, or start walking?

At the moment it seemed to be the middle option as you could not move. Then there was a cough from the far end of the platform and you saw Edin smiling and waving at you. You took a deep breath and started walking to him. Blocking out the rest of the room and focusing on moving towards your ... Oh wow you think of him as your first friend and you haven't even said fifty words to the guy, maybe you should have tried to make some friends before now.

As you walked you heard the chatter start to come back. A wake of conversation spread by your movement. You had a feeling most of the chatter was about you not having an aura. The more you moved the less you were able to ignore everyone and focus on Edin. The soft laughter as everyone saw your lack of aura doing some bad things to what you really thought was a well tempered ego. You knew you were average in everything and were a little proud of that. In this world of exceptional you at least ranked. But in this you were an utter failure.

Reaching the end of the platform a part of you wanted to let your aura out just to prove you had some. But with each step you knew you wouldn't. Having no aura was better than the incoherent blob that was yours, you couldn't even make it transparent like everyone else.

As you took the last few steps you saw Edin point at a seat next to himself. He was sitting behind the women seated at the foot of the platform with the other guys in a line, the first and last seats open for you and Jason. You were immensely grateful he was still willing to be nice to you after this.

When your foot hit the end of the platform you expected nothing to happen. Everyone would, much like yourself, do their best to forget what had just happened.

Instead a woman started clapping. From the sound they were just to your left and when you looked you saw a girl about your physical age smiling at you and clapping. It was took dark to see anything but her face and her aura was swirling around in golden hues. You froze not sure what to do. You looked to Edin and he wasn't waving you over anymore. He was looking towards the clapping girl as well.

Suddenly, as a wave spreading from her much like conversation had in your wake, all those seated started clapping as well. You looked around to try and gauge what to do. You hadn't heard any applause while you were outside the room so didn't know if this was normal or not. You looked at Edin and saw him clapping along with everyone else. From the looks on the other guys faces you figured that the clapping is not normal.

Internally you found the fact you were embarrassed about how you had no aura and now you are embarrassed about how everyone was applauding that fact rather funny. Externally you managed to unfreeze and hurried down the steps at the end of the platform and rushed to your seat next to Edin.

As you went the applause quieted. When you got close to Edin you, as quietly as you could, you whispered. "What just happened?"

"I don't know." He answered smiling at. You took the seat next to him and he whispered again. "It started at the Royal section." He pointed in the direction of the first clapper.

At least whoever was sitting there had a sense of pity. Your thoughts of gratitude about royal pity were muffled as the Announcer called out Jason of Nudin.

He strode out looking serene. His enchanted aura billowing out in a constantly shifting of patterns and colours.

"Wish I was as good as him." Edin whispered looking wistful.

"At enchantments?" You asked not sure what he meant.

"What no, at aura control. Ripples is about all I can do." To emphasize his statement he held up a hand and wiggled his fingers sending ripples though his aura.

"That isn't his aura his clothes are enchanted." You commented back.

"What? No their not."

You were suddenly very confused by this conversation. That enchantment is as obvious as it could be. The patterns don't even look like aura much less feel like it. Even from this distance you could tell that. "Yeah it is. See there." You point at the tiny gap left by the missing enchantment where you disintegrated his trousers buttons, and the enchantment on that area.

Edin was quiet for a moment as he stared at Jason. "Huh?" He looked at you then at Jason again. "You have amazing eyes." He commented.

The compliment actually made you blush. It was the first time someone had said anything about you was amazing. "Yours are really pretty." You stutter out having no idea how to internalise the positive encouragement and reflexively returning it.

He looked at you and you saw his aura shift slightly making his eyes a little bluer as the waves became a little less controled. "You really think so." He smiled at you and nodded. Before you could say anything else you felt Jason nearing.

You turned in your seat to see him walk down the stairs to no applause and just short of charge at you.

"Fucking funny. How much did it cost to have someone clap you?" He growled at you once he was close enough. His hand wasn't on his hilt but it was edging close to it.

You looked around to try and find some one official looking who could step in to help you.

"If Master Jason would take his seat." The voice of the Announcer sent a shiver of relief through you. Jason kept glaring at you but turned to walk to the first seat that had been kept open for him. "That concludes the debut." Your eyes were pulled to the Announcer standing at the end of the runway. "We will now begin serving drinks and should anyone wish they may find the debutantes at the end of the hall. The dance will being in half an hour." The runway suddenly collapsed under him, falling flat onto the ground. The Announcer slowed drifted to the floor rather than fall with it.

You were reminded of how long it had taken you to figure out how to fly. The first few weeks of learning you could only practice for a minute before being practically bed ridden for the rest of the day in recovery. He made it look far more natural than you were able to. Even now you have to hold any position you start in so you don't break the magic holding you up.

The room filled with chatter. You looked down the row of seated guys, none had moved so you remained as well.

Wait he said dance.

You never learned any dancing.

What sort of dance?

"Dance?" You whisper at Edin hoping he'd be able to explain at least a little. His cheeks suddenly become much redder and his aura slipped a little out of his control sending a wave of soft pink embarrassment towards you. Well at least he is as unprepared for it as you are. "Do you know it?"

"O-oh." His redden cheeks get a little redder and his aura returned to his control. "A bit of it, I haven't been asked before." He mumbled the last bit. So at least he might be able to tell you a bit.

"Would you like a drink young masters, you appear a little thirsty." A man asks you and Edin. Edin sputters but nodded a yes so you did as well. The man grins at the two of you for some reason and moves down to ask the other guys.

Edin doesn't say anything and you feel like things have gotten awkward but cannot for the life of you figure out why. "You ok?" You ask him hoping for a resolution.

"Y-yes j-just thinking." Edin stutters out.

The awkwardness didn't go away and you start to think it might have something to do with the exchanged compliments, based on his aura that is when thing started to get awkward. A second of thought leads you a conclusion. Edin had complimented a magical component of your ability, you had just complimented his appearance. In hind sight it was rude on your part.

"I really love your aura it's beautiful to watch." You say hoping to would smooth things over.

"O-oh um thanks I practiced a lot." He smiled at you and the awkwardness seemed to have lessened. "Your um is..."

"I have to turn it off. I don't have any control over it." You laugh out trying to nullify the embarrassment you felt at its mention. Edin was just trying to be nice so the embarrassment faded quickly.

"Turn it off?" He asked sounding confused.

"Christopher." The voice came from the girl who had started clapping first. You'd felt her approaching but didn't think she was coming to you.

"Yes. Hi. Hello." You answer not sure what the correct greeting in this situation is. Edin had said she was from the Royal section but you had no idea what that meant.

"Your highness–" An older woman strode up behind the girl.

"Would you care to dance?" The apparent Royal asked you.

Your eyes glanced at Edin. You just want a sponsor for the Academy so you weren't sure what the procedure was. However when it came down to it that runway was about as much humiliation as you can handle. The risk of fucking up a dance with a royal seemed like a great way to ensure you would never get anything even close to a sponsor.

"Not really." Your mouth says before you have a chance to catch it. The local area was very quiet very suddenly. "I mean I wouldn't be a good partner." You glance at Edin and really hope he doesn't dislike you for this. "But Edin would be an excellent dancer." You smile at the royal and put your hand on Edin's back.

The royal stared at you with her mouth a thin line. The older woman who had spoken to had stopped moving to intervene which you fought hard to interpret as a good thing. You take a moment to look at the royal's aura. It looked confused. A hue of colours but the pattern was shifting with no clear intention.

She looked at Edin who looked as frozen as you had been not so long ago. "He's pretty." She said making the two of you look at each other, trying to gauge if you had just done something executable. "Perhaps the two of you would care to join me." She turned and started walking away.

You didn't move not sure what was happening. Edin stayed still as well so it seemed like the right move.

"Her Royal Highness Princess Anastasia requests your presence." The older woman said glaring at the two of you.

Taking the hint you both scramble out of your seats and rushed after Anastasia. You aren't sure what is going on but apparently you don't have a choice. Hopefully the princess doesn't keep you for long and you have a chance to find a sponsor, while she herself might be willing to sponsor you, the mature part of you sees it as far more likely she just want's a distraction from the normal procedure and after your showing and subsequent conversation you certainly aren't the procedure. Also likely she wants more information about you to bring back, gossip about an auraless son of a Lord might hold some value in social circles. You really should have spent some time studying how nobility works around here.

You and Edin are brought to a table tall enough that you can all stand at. You were the tallest but Anastasia was close, Edin was the shortest by enough the difference was hard to not notice.

You took a chance to look at Anastasia. She was wearing a dress that, while not hugging her form, was not as loose as you'd have thought would be royally appropriate. A crimson colour spread from the rim of her skirt that started at her mid calf and slowly faded into a pale blue as it traveled up her body concluding in a blue tinged white at her shoulders, from there it faded to black along her sleeves that ended at her wrists. It was unadorned with ruffles or other poofiness that you associated with royalty, a hold over from your previous life's experiences.

Her hair was a deep red and her skin paler than even Edin's. Her eyes were a sparkling green, literally they sparkled with a tiny enchantment. She had an upturned nose that looked a little too big but she would grow into it soon enough. Her cheeks had a tinge of redness that, to your eyes, was natural and had a fullness that meant she'd smiled a lot, cheek muscles like that needed working out. Her jaw came to a narrow end that certainly added a sense of regality to her face. Her lips, in your world, would be described as cupid bowed. Much like her dress her facial make up shifted from the crimson of her lips to the pale blue eyeliner and brought out her eyes and cheeks.

As you stared at her face you felt something. You still had no control over your hormones and this is the closest you have ever been to a girl physically aged the same as you and she is gorgeous. You took a step closer to the table using it to cover up your lower half.

You looked over to Edin in an attempt to get your hormones slightly under control. He glanced at you then at your table covered lower half and blushed a little before joining your standing. So apparently he was in a similar position as you were. Why oh why did you have to go through puberty twice?

"Normally you introduce yourself." Anastasia said pulling your attention from Edin and too herself.

"S-sorry." You cough out trying to not focus on her face too much. Thankfully you could feel the man who had asked if you wanted a drink approach so you leaned towards Edin waiting for the drink to be placed on the table in front of you and giving yourself some time to refocus.

Anastasia looked from you to the waiter for a moment, the movement pulling your eyes back to her face. When she looked back at you there was a certain curiosity to her gaze. You don't know what, or even if there is, some official way to greet someone of royalty so you take a drink and nudge Edin hoping he would go first.

Thankfully he gets the hint. "Your Royal Highness Anastasia. I am Edin of Cleita Bay currently the ward of Lady Ketersen."

You had no idea who that was but Anastasia seemed to. "I haven't seen any of Ketersen's children at a debut before."

"She is yet to have children your Highness." Edin fidgeted slightly, clearly it was an uncomfortable subject. You had no idea how wards work in this world so not being dragged into this conversation was the safe option, you take another drink.

"A shame but I am glad she has a ward. I am sure someone as pretty as you is rather popular." This caused a few sputters from those around you. You had felt the audience edging closer since you arrived and assumed it was because of Anastasia. In any world you imagined people would try to be as involved with royalty as they could be. "Perhaps some of those around us would like to dance with you." Anastasia commented. It made everyone around the three of you take a few subtle steps back.

And Anastasia's approach to you clicked. She didn't want to be here, likely it was a part of royal duties and she wanted to get out of future debuts. What better way than to skirt the line of scandal. A boy with no aura having a personal conversation with her would probably more than cover that.

"I-I don't. T-that is..." Edin struggled to get his words out. You felt him nudge you and took the hint.

"Actually I don't think either of us want to dance we are just after sponsors for the Royal Academy." As you finish you bring the glass to your lips again and take what would be the last sip of the liquid. As it passes your lips your brain catches up and you take the glass away staring accusingly at the liquid. Apparently something else you are below average in, **** tolerance. You flick your eyes from Edin to the princess and swallow the small amount in your mouth hoping it would in some way help.

After a long pause the princess's eyes took on a worrying predatory glint. "Really?" She flicked her eyes to the older woman who had accompanied her but had hung back from joining the table. You also see a slight shift in Anastasia's aura and feel a spell being cast from the older women. Before it is complete you recognize it as an illusion. It is cast surprisingly slowly but you figure that is to avoid as much attention as possible.

Once the spell was up the princess shifted her stance. She had been standing on both legs evenly and holding a faint smile. Now she shifted her weight to her right foot and the faint smile dropped. From outside the spell, anyone looking at you three wouldn't have noticed any change and it would appear you were all talking as normal, though no one would be able to hear what you were talking about. It was an oddly poor spell, no doubt on purpose to push the scandal idea. Whatever was happening the princess was putting you and Edin in a singularly isolated position. She could say whatever she want's about what happened here and the two of you will likely never be believed if what she said harms you.

"In that case let's say I sponsor you." Anastasia looked between the pair of you trying to gauge reactions. Edin's rippling aura suddenly radiated waves of hope. You hadn't considered it before but not having an aura must make you hard to read for people used to doing so. "But I want something back."

There were so many possible ways this could go you had no reasonable way to predict them all. Yet one possibility was worrying present. She was royalty and so would likely have an arranged marriage at some point, she could try using one or both of you as a reason to forgo such arrangement. An action that would, without question, make one or both of you the subjects of lots of unpleasantness.

You pick up your glass and swallow what little remained of it. "And what would that be?" You ask hoping for something simple and not at all sinister.

"Nothing worth going into here and now." She waved her hand dismissively. "Though naturally should you refuse I would have to explain to the Academy masters how you had no interest in my sponsorship if someone else was to offer sponsoring either one of you."

So that was it. Agree to something you have no idea about or never attend the Royal Academy. You looked at Edin who looked back, the mixture of hope and excitement on his face and aura was covering up a much dark feeling. So he was aware of the trap as well but the chance at the Academy was too good too pass up. Honestly he probably wants to go even more than you do.

"And what's too make us keep our word?" You say avoiding looking at Edin and seeing his puppy eyes begging you to just say yes. A verbal agreement is fine and since she is a royal you imagine the princess's word alone would be more than sufficient to hold the both of you too it but depending on what she wants it might not be enough so this is a good way to check what sort of request she had in mind.

She reached behind her back and pulled out a roll of paper. From the spell she used when she grabbed she had been concealing it with a simple illusion. You should have seen it when you followed her here, apparently your hormones were betraying you because it hadn't been that part of her back you were looking at.

She placed it carefully on the table and rolled it out.

You look at something you had read about and even tried to recreate on your own, and would have if the paper would stop bursting into flames. Something very old and very forbidden, to the point that seeing this and knowing she had it might be enough for the two of you to be killed to protect her.

A **** contract.

It wasn't even really comparable to the slavery of your previous world. The usage of the word in this world was very narrow. The contracts even contains a clause that when met would nullify it, releasing both parties entirely. From your research they were used to ensure the loyalty of the nobles a long time ago, sign on the dotted line and become a noble and in return you would be loyal.

They fell out of use entirely more than two centuries ago and had gotten progressive more taboo and illegal since. The only reason you were aware of them is from a teacher mentioning their existence in passing and you doing your best to track down information. They were supposed to be incredible powerful and the possibility that such a contract, if strong enough, might have been the thing that pulled you into this world demanded your focus. Unfortunately most of the historical details had been unattainable. Though you were able to find the punishment clause of those old contracts was sealing of magic. It is actually what lead to a fall of that kingdom. The nobles did something that sealed their magic and were mostly wiped out by an invading army.

The contract Anastasia was presenting was much simpler than you thought it would be. A few lines stating that the signee would obey the contract holder. Thankfully the punishment clause was not as severe as sealing magic. Instead it's punishment clause was a renouncing of all noble titles. So severe is something of a matter of perspective.

"That's a **** contract." Edin whispered. "Aren't they illegal?" He directed that at you but the princess heard it.

She didn't say anything about his comment but held out a quill to him. "All you have to do is sign and you will be at the Academy. I could even take you with me to the capital right now." The offer was apparently extremely tantalizing as Edin snatched the quill and hovered it over the signing section.

It was such a remarkably **** action it caught you totally off guard. You'd only know him a few minutes but that seemed out of character.

"Do you promise to take me now?" His voice was steady as he said it but his aura was quivering with **** hope.

"If you both do." The princess turned to look at you. Edin's eyes snapped to you as well pleadingly looking at you and the contract.

You gently grabbed his hand and took the quill out of it. He resisted but not enough to stop you. "I'll read it first." You tell her and focus on the contract.

The words couldn't be enough so there was magic at play. You relaxed your vision to see. Looking at it you were a little disappointed to see how simple it was. The entire contract glowed with magic that writhed like a living thing. The words on it produced thin tendrils that would wrap around other word-made tendrils making it very difficult to decipher each individual spell on it. It was fascinating to look at and easy to miss the actual trick which may have been the point. The section that you were supposed to sign had a latcher spell on it.

It would detach from the physical object and merge with your aura. That is what actually gave the contract power. The latcher wasn't even strong it was just a mild compulsion meant to make you feel like you should obey the princess. Either the original contracts were substantially stronger or it was somewhat in line with the placebo effect. People believed it would work so it worked. It did bring into question if one had been used to bring you into this world.

You looked at quill hoping there would be some sort of special enchantment on it that worked in tandem with the latcher but no, it was just a quill. You looked at Edin. Still staring hopefully at you and the contract. You like Edin and average as you were you weren't going to put him at someone else's mercy because of your actions. You lowered the quill away from the contract and were pretty sure you saw Edin's heart break through his aura.

"Please." He begged as softly as he could. "I'll do whatever you want." He looked down in utter defeat.

It made you feel bad since you weren't refusing to sign it. You were just going to disintegrate the latcher spell. If it worked on Jason's enchantment a bit of focus and you might just be able to use it exclusively on magic. Your own personal magical scalpel. If it worked.

You looked at Anastasia as you got the spell ready. You couldn't replace the latcher spell with something else since the contract would probably explode so you needed to distract her from looking at it. "Seems like a lot of work just to avoid an arranged marriage." As you said it as cast your spell hoping your guess was close enough to needle her.

Her eyes flashed with anger that she quickly smoothed so your guess might have been correct. "Nothing of the sort, I just don't want you miss out on such an opportunity as the Royal Academy and naturally as royalty it would be unbecoming for my sponsored attendees to fail."

"So this is just to make sure we study and succeed." You don't even bother trying to hide the sarcasm in your voice. You glanced at the contract and saw the latcher spell was gone. Before she had a chance to look or say anything else you pulled it close, covered the now empty spell spot with your hand and signed before passing the quill to Edin, keeping you hand over the alteration. "Well I hope we don't disappoint."

Edin beams at you and signed his own name. You keep a very careful eye on his aura and a disintegration spell ready in case you missed something but nothing happens. You check the contract with the two signatures and there is nothing that indicates anything happened so you appear to have nullified it. You move to roll it up when the princess stops you. You panic thinking that she saw what you did for a moment.

"I have to sign as well." She takes the quill from Edin. You keep your hand on the now empty spell spot until she looks at you and you pull it away.

She doesn't even glance at it she signs her name and rolls it up putting it back behind her back and casting the illusion to hide it. So you were right about her wanting it hidden quickly. Now you just have to hope she doesn't study it when she was alone.

"S-so when do we leave?" Edin asks eagerly.

"Once the debut is done. I'll have someone collect your belongings from–"

"No." Edin bursts out. "N-no sorry no need to get anything I'm sure my mis– Lady Ketersen."

You have no idea what is going on with Edin but he is clearly very eager to get to the capital. Not that you can blame him now that you know you are going you kinda want to go with them now as well. But before you go near anymore nobles you are going to spend time understanding social dynamics and political landscapes. After all, the princess is clearly happy to use forbidden magic to get at least one, as far as you know, very low born noble to do whatever her bidding is. Well worth finding out if there is some sort of rebellion or coup she wants you as cannon fodder for.

"Then we will buy you fitting clothes when we arrive." Anastasia seemed to totally disregard Edin now that the contract was signed and focused on you. "What about you? Will you be coming with me?"

You hesitate. It could be a test of the contract. Seeing if you will want to stay close to her. You decided to risk it. "No I should return to my fathers estate. It will just be two years until I'm there anyway."

Anastasia doesn't look away for a moment and you think you tripped into her trap. Then she looks away and you see her aura ripple for an unknown reason. You add studying other's auras to you pre-academy study list. "Then we will have to visit you." As she said it the illusion around you broke letting all those close hear the words. "Excuse us Christopher I think we should dance." She walks around you and takes Edin's hand pulling him away. He looks a little confused but still has a massive smile plastered across his face.

Well everything seemed to have worked out. Well actually basically nothing worked out but you do have a sponsor. Maybe when you get the capital it will be possible for you to find an alternate sponsor. Who knows when or even if Anastasia will check that contract to see the alteration you made and how she will react to it.

"Two years." You say looking around and noticing all the people still looking at you.

You hurry back where you had been sitting, finding all of the chairs empty. Thankfully no one approaches you to talk, so you are left alone to pry though everything that just happened. Especially with the illusion spells that were case. You hadn't spent much time working on illusions but it could be worth looking into more. As the night wind on you notice that Anastasia holds Edin's hand and takes him everywhere she goes, dragging him into various conversations and being very affectionate towards him. You figure it must be a part of the scandal ploy she was probably doing. The contract stays attached to her back and you wonder if she always intended to use it tonight or if she takes it everywhere just in case.