He woke up early on the day of the Special Quest. He hated to admit it, but the suggestion of an early night had been a sound one. A flutter in his stomach made him realize he was nervous. He dismissed the sensation at once. There was no need for it.

  He rose from his bed and saw that, at the foot of it, his uniform had been prepared for him. There was nothing special about it, just his normal academy uniform, with the coat of arms of the Viamnova stitched on the chest. The beautiful red embroidery had been a gift from his father, it was standard for the noble families to etch their coat of arms somewhere on the uniform of their children, but this was not common string, it was ruby, magically turned into strands and beautifully shaped on the uniform. Something we should wear with pride and never shame, father had said. He did not waste time putting it on.

  When he was fully dressed, he walked to his dressing table, faced the mirror, and looked into his dark blue eyes, almost green in certain light. Siegfried Viamnova wondered, not for the first time, how they could be so different from his father’s and his sister’s.

  He had asked the same question to one of his tutors. They had explained that it was thanks to his mother, and it was true, his mother had dark green eyes. But then he had a follow-up question. How come my sister has the blue eyes of the Viamnova? Why is she unaffected by my mother?

  The tutor had prattled on and on about genetics and some complicated stuff about it. He had also offered to give Siegfried a book so he could understand better. Siegfried didn't see the point of this. He didn't understand much of what the man was saying, and at the end of the day, what would learning about this achieve? Would his eyes suddenly turn to the blue of the Viamnova if he did? No. For that there was magic, and with his power, he could change his eyes to whatever color pleased him. And so, as he did then, he put the question aside and stopped thinking about it.

  Father had wanted an early breakfast, so he could remind them of their duty and give them words of encouragement, no doubt. So he started making his way to the dining hall, thinking of his sister. That annoying flutter came back, and with it anger. How was he that stupid? How could he allow such foolishness as that to go on inside his own body? He commanded himself to stop. This wasn't his first special quest. He had been given the honor to be chosen a second time, an honor that very few were granted. He had no time or right for nerves.

  But this special quest was a lot different from his last. In that one, he had the certainty of allies and the knowledge that betrayal was fairly unlikely. This time around, he had to contend with his sister Athena and the unknown factor of his cousin Cassian. Unlike his father, Siegfried wasn't blind to Athena's nature.

  She believed she had the right to control others because she was a Viamnova. She had told him as much when they were children.

  “Don’t you see, brother? Leonard Viamnova said it himself when he became the first Sorcerer Supreme. The strongest should rule. That’s the nature of the world. The strong must rule, and the weak must bow to the strong. Don’t tell me you didn’t understand that?”

  The look on her face at that time had angered him a little. It was disbelief. As if she were genuinely surprised that he could not see something so obvious, so simple. Siegfried didn’t know how to dispute what she had said. He felt it was wrong, but back then he didn’t have the words to explain why. He still didn’t have them now. He didn’t understand why her conviction unsettled him so deeply.

  Yet that outlook didn’t explain her sudden change toward him. He wasn’t weak. He had always been kind to her. So why? Why had she started treating him that way? Had he failed her somehow? When they were young, he had always tried to show her the ways of magic, offering what guidance he could. Every time, she would answer with the same infuriating calm. “I knew that already, brother.”

  Maybe she realized… No. Siegfried just did not understand. And even if he could understand why his sister had changed her attitude toward him, it wouldn’t truly help him now. The quest would not be decided by childhood grievances. It would be decided by strength. And both him and Athena knew he was stronger.

  And thus, he stopped thinking about it.

  Cassian. That boy was a mystery to him. He had never seen him practice magic, not truly. Yet, given who his parents were, underestimating him would be foolish. Siegfried had taken the time to collect information. Quiet questions. Casual observations. The picture that formed was spotless.

  His peers respected him. They called him gallant, intelligent, capable. No one seemed to have anything bad to say that could not be dismissed as jealousy. His teachers spoke of promise. Of composure. Of refinement. By all visible accounts, Cassian Viamnova was the sort of ally one would be fortunate to have. But if one asked the same questions about Athena, the answers would sound almost identical.

  Elegant. Graceful. Kind. Exceptional.

  Only a select few would mention the times Athena had, as she liked to phrase it, humbled them. And even then, they spoke cautiously. Their eyes would flick over shoulders, as if expecting her to materialize from thin air and punish them for daring to imply she possessed a sharper edge. Who was to say it was not the same with Cassian? That he did not present one face while hiding another beneath it?

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  Siegfried had intended to settle the matter quickly. Find the boy. Speak plainly about the special quest. Establish terms. Measure him directly. Athena had reached him first. He did not know what she had told him. What she might have promised. What they might have agreed upon. Yes, they had clashed, but that proved nothing. Athena would not hesitate to endanger a commoner girl if it suited her purposes. A staged conflict would not be beneath her. Would his little cousin be capable of such a thing?

  Maybe.

  It did not help that Siegfried could not read him properly. Every movement felt deliberate. The way he looked at people. The calculated stillness in his posture. Even the way he walked suggested restraint, as if he were constantly aware of himself and adjusting accordingly.

  He was hiding something. That much was obvious to Siegfried.

  But beyond that, there was something else. Something that made Siegfried uneasy in a way he could not name. It’s not like there wasn’t a good reason to be cautious of him, even Athena was wary of that. But it was something different. Something beneath the surface.

  Something that Siegfried just did not understand.

  He arrived at the dining hall to find the entire family had already assembled.

  His father sat at the head of the long table, posture immaculate, hands folded before him. To his left was his mother, who smiled at him. Beside her sat Athena, straight-backed, expression pleasant, as if nothing in the world could trouble her. Siegfried noticed her uniform had been modified. She had the same red coat of arms on her chest as he did, but it didn't catch the light as his did. No, it isn’t Ruby, he thought. It seemed father had wanted them to match but she had not earned the right to wear gems on her uniform, not yet.

  The seat to his father’s right stood empty. His seat. His rightful place. Siegfried walked toward it without a word and took it. The chair made no sound as he pulled it back. A servant stepped forward immediately, placing before him a measured breakfast: porridge thick and warm, boiled eggs sliced neatly, and a modest ham steak. Filling, but not excessive. Sustenance chosen with care.

  He did not touch it. No one would begin until his father gave the signal. The silence was broken as his father spoke.

  “So. Do you feel prepared?”

  Siegfried answered at once. “Of course, Father, I-”

  “I wasn’t speaking to you.” The words cut cleanly through the air. “We have been practicing together. I know you are ready.” His father’s gaze shifted, cool and deliberate. “I was speaking to the one who decided that training alone would be best for her.”

  His eyes settled on Athena. She tilted her head slightly, the faintest hint of surprise crossing her face before smoothing into something gentler.

  “Oh, Father, it was not like that. I simply did not wish to interfere with my brother’s preparations. He trains so intensely. I would hate to be in the way.” Her tone was soft and considerate.

  “Yes, your spells would have created chaos. Something we could have used to sharpen your brother’s reflexes further. You should consider that next time.”

  “Yes, Father. I will,” Athena answered smoothly.

  Her father gave a small nod. “So. Are you ready? Did you practice everything I told you? Did you complete all your exercises?”

  “Most certainly. And you will see, Father, some of them have already proven useful.”

  “I should hope so,” he replied.

  Their mother’s voice followed, warm and steady. “You two will perform brilliantly, because you will do your best.”

  A faint scowl crossed Father’s face. “If that were all it took, everyone would be a genius.”

  “It is all it takes for them,” Mother said, pride sharpening her tone. “They are the pride of the Viamnovas. You will see.” Her gaze shifted slightly. “The only one I worry about is that young boy. Cassian. I hope he does not get in your way.”

  “My brother and his wife trained him well, I’m sure,” Father said. “Let us say you need not concern yourself. Provided he has been training diligently these past few days.”

  Athena’s smile brightened. “You needn’t worry about that, Father. He even came to train with me one afternoon. I am certain he will perform wonderfully.” She turned her eyes toward Siegfried. “Aren’t you, brother?”

  Her voice was honey. Her eyes were not. They were mocking him. Why?

  Had they formed an alliance? Was this her way of confirming it? She had been like this all week, speaking as though the true partnership was between her and Cassian, as though Siegfried were the extra piece, the unnecessary one.

  Siegfried stopped thinking about it. If they had formed an alliance against him, then he would crush them both. And that would be the end of it. They finished their breakfast in silence.

  When the last utensil had been set down, Father rose first. Only when he neared the doors of the dining hall did the others stand and follow. Two carriages awaited them in the courtyard of the Rubyhold, the manor granted to Father as head of the secondary Viamnova line. Mother entered one with Athena. Siegfried took the other beside Father. They departed immediately.

  The carriage rolled through the immaculate grounds of the Rubyhold and out into the noble avenues of the inner circle. As they passed the towering ruby statue of Henry Viamnova, the figure from whom the manor took its name, the gemstone surface caught the morning light and refracted it in deep crimson gleams across the pale stone. Neither Father nor son spoke. It seemed Father had already said everything he intended to say.

  As they turned onto the main road that led toward the Tower of Wisdom, a distant noise began to swell. What first sounded like wind soon turned into voices. A crowd. By the time the carriage emerged fully onto the avenue, the streets were lined with people pressing shoulder to shoulder. They cheered at the sight of the Viamnova crest. Some shouted blessings. Others called for a glance, for a wave, for acknowledgment.

  “Show yourself to them,” Father commanded. “It is your duty to placate the masses.”

  Siegfried obeyed without hesitation. He opened the carriage window and extended his arm outward, posture straight, expression controlled, giving them a measured wave. The cheers grew louder.

  He imagined Athena in the other carriage doing more. Leaning outward, perhaps. Letting her golden hair catch the wind. Smiling that practiced, radiant smile that had earned her the epithet so many adored. The Golden Girl. If they knew what she truly thought of them, that crowd would fall silent. The Golden Girl nonsense would be over in an instant.