Tesdes was doing his best to be invisible, which, he was finding, was harder than it had been before.

He had done a very good job of hiding in Kekla and Riensin’s rather bright shadows up until now.  But now, now it was getting trickier.

He found himself in the library, mostly because it was one place where people who wanted to know all about meeting the Voice of the Emperor would hesitate —…

“I’ve got the ear of the Emperor, you’re right here,” Lirnilalie pointed out.  “So listen.  To me, an Imperial Princess–“ Somewhere behind her, Riensin cleared his throat. Elelakorra chuckled.  “Lyirnilalie, I think the entire point is that you have repudiated your title and it has repudiated you.  By that standard, this first-year student has far more standing than you do, as she is still an…

Chapter 36A: Keep Moving

Ulunumani had fled, flinging imprecations.  Enrie wanted to feel bad about that — and in some sense, she supposed she did. Ledryie was right; she was far too casual about making enemies.  At least Taikie’d made her first enemy when he tried to kill her; Enrie seemed to make them when she got in their way.  At the rate she was going, she was going to have plenty of enemies by the time she got…

Chapter 34B: A little help from friends

Previous to Chapter 34A… Kekdela and Tesdes were waiting just inside the entrance to the library when Enrie, Saydrie, and Taikie got there. Kekla looked as if she was about ready to bounce out of her uniform, while Tesdes looked — well, the same as Tesdes normally looked, which was reservedly nervous. Enrie didn’t blame him; she felt much the same. Once they’d told people outside of their little…

“What are you playing at, anyway?” Kekdela had three books open in front of her but she was drawing doodles of goat horns in her notebook. “You know this really could get you expelled. It could get everyone expelled. Me and Tesdes included.” Tesdes looked up at the mention of his name. “What?” Riensin shook his head. “Nobody’s getting expelled. They might consider it, but Edally has a reputation…