OLIVIA WANDERED THE ENDLESS corridors of the academy for an hour and a half. She was not lost.
The path on the map she was originally following lead her back to her beginning point four separate times before she'd figured out it unraveled more.
Still, when she'd went down a ground level knight armor lined hall and ended up on the roof of a spiraling tower, she did not ask for help. Pride is a foolish thing indeed.
By the time she'd actually found the Grand Hall where she was supposed to be twenty minutes prior all of her grade had already filled the hall and she'd missed the beginning half of the introductory speech.
A few upper classmates were beginning to clean up their table when she'd snuck in. They looked shocked to her see but simply handed her the last badge remaining, a white rectangle with her name and the number forty-three written on the front.
She thanked them quietly and pinned the badge above the breast pocket of her blazer before scurrying off to the nearest open seat.
The seats were wooden benches lined from wall to wall, front to back facing toward each other parallel to the walls and packed with students.
Out of breath Olivia sat down on the very end of the bench closest to the students table on the left of the grand doorway—an open arch showing the long empty hallway to the double doors on the far end—the girl next to her scooted slightly over in an attempt to make more room for her. The girl smiled shyly then turned back to the stage.
Unfortunately the bench was already almost overflowing with bodies and despite the mousy girls efforts, Olivia could still only fit half of her body on the bench without invading any personal space.
Olivia leaned over the table the table and stretched her neck further to the left, toward the stage, where the headmaster was speaking.
The room was completely dark save for the spotlight shining directly at the podium up front. It was hard to see past all the taller heads and with the far distance she could only depend on the resonance to carry the headmasters voice to her ears.
Thankfully she was able to catch the end of the speech, "—and with that I'd like to officially congratulate and welcome you all to Alexandreia! We look forward to meeting and getting to know you all this semester and hope you feel just as excited for this new school year and all the experiences and knowledge we work our utmost to bring to you!" He said enthusiastically,
"The badges handed to you at the door obtain a number on them, this is your assigned group. Staff and upperclassmen will be standing around the room they are to be your group leaders who will give you a tour around our campus and answer any questions you may have. To find your group leader you simply need to match the badge number to the student or staff member holding the numbers sign."
"We hope you enjoy your time here for forever more. Let us all achieve excellence together." With that he leaned away from the podium and applause thundered throughout the room.
The hall was flooded with light as the curtains were drawn open and candle chandeliers and lanterns lit themselves.
The room quickly turned into a rowdy sort of chaos, it was hard to hear anyone over the endless amount of conversation going on at once and bodies swerved and collided into one another.
Olivia ignored it all and slipped past the other children searching for the forty-three board.
She found it soon into her search, a tall, slim girl stood by the arched entrance way holding a white paper with a large '43' painted in neat black numbers bouncing on her toes barely able to hold in her excitement.
When she saw Olivia calmly approaching her tan face broke into a beaming grin. Her maroon hair was combed neatly and sat straight and smooth as silk.
"Hello there! I'm Sienna Faye, sixth year at Alexandreia and secretary of the student body. I will be your group leader for your first year!" Her orange eyes shone proudly. Her features were beautifully defined and slim, her skin shined beneath the sun and the beauty mark under her right eye crinkled when she smiled.
A few other kids had joined as she was introducing herself, a messy, bored looking green haired boy along with another more serious and neat looking gray haired one came and stood beside her. The timid girl she'd sat next to on the bench was there too, her magenta hair tied into twin braids. Her round features and pink dusted cheeks gave her an innocent and shy aura but other then that she was mostly indistinguishable.
A familiar haughty teal and pigtailed hair strutted her way toward them and stood on the other side of Olivia from the rest of the group. Sienna introduced herself again.
This continued for the next three students that arrived, blonde twin sisters and a small ginger boy with freckles on very visible patch of skin Olivia could see.
Once Sienna finished the head count they began the tour.
"Lady Auclair, it's been quite a while I'm not sure you remember me?" Fifteen minutes into the tour as they were walking past the schools smaller courtyard, around the size of a tennis court, the teal haired girl came up to her.
Olivia stared at the girl for a moment, it was true she looked familiar but Olivia couldn't quite place where she'd seen her before.
"Ah...yes, it has been a minute Lady..." Olivia trialed off searching her brain for a name. The girl laughed.
"It's alright Lady Auclair. It was quite some years ago. My name is Cassidy Davies. We met at the nobles ball at the imperials palace when we were small children." Cassidy spoke in such a peculiar way, an accent used by the older noble woman, though it sounded silly with her girlish voice.
"Ah!" Cassidy Davies. Olivia does remember her. Her and her two friends had approached her all those years ago when she was looking for Amos' tower. "Lady Davies. Yes, I do remember you now. You'll have to forgive me, I don't have the best memory." Olivia said politely.
Cassidy waved a gloved hand dismissively, "Don't worry about it, I don't blame you, it took me quite a minute to recognize you as well! I'd almost completely forgotten about you! There isn't much that sticks out if you know what I mean. No offense." She said sweetly and smirked.
Olivia chuckled awkwardly, she did not have the time to deal with petty little girls today. "None taken."
"Anyway, my offer from back then still stands. I'd still be willingly to be friends today. As I said before, girls of our stature need to stick together." She smiled then gestured around them, "Especially in a place like this with no class."
Olivia looked at Cassidy confused before Sienna stepped in.
"Ah-ah-ah Lady Davies!" Sienna tutted good naturedly, "Every student, staff, and guest on Alexandreia's grounds are treated and referred to as equals!"
"If you worked your way into this school as everyone else did then you've earned your rightful place among your peers! No one will be treated specially or differently simply because of blood, so pulling rank while on the academy's campus won't get you anywhere but the headmasters office!" Sienna smiled and continued her job pointing out a broken statue of a mermaid covered in vines on the lake.
"She's correct." The girls jumped when a sudden voice sounded from behind them. "Alexandreia college is a place for scholars and up coming magicians. Trying to put others down who worked their hardest and proved their skill is pathetic and distasteful." The serious gray haired boy Olivia recognized from the Grand Hall adjusted the glasses on his face. "I am Augustus Driscoll. Pleasure to make your acquaintance." He nodded at them.
"Olivia Auclair." Cassidy simply tutted and looked at him in displeasure.
The unkempt green haired boy groaned and walked into Olivia's peripheral vision. His dress shirt was hastily tucked into his pants, wrinkled and partly still hanging out over his belt.
"Geez Auggie, you need to loosen up a little. It's why you're barely thirteen and already have a whole head of gray hair. Don't need wrinkles too." He smiled cheekily. Augustus clicked his tongue in irritation.
His face twitched in an attempt to keep the carefully crafted blank expression, "For the last time. It is my natural hair color, Leif. And do not call me Auggie." He spoke slowly and spat the nickname out like poison.
The boy, Leif, simply shrugged and turned his attention to the two girls. "Name's Leif Driscoll. Pleasure to meetcha'" He grinned.
"Driscoll?" Cassidy said and glanced at Augustus, "You are brothers?"
"Yup." Leif said popping the 'p'.
"Half. We share separate mothers." Augustus said curtly.
"Really..." Olivia said wonderingly.
Cassidy sighed aggressively from Olivia's side where she could just barely hear the irritated mumbling of the girl, "...knew I should've studied abroad.." She stomped ahead of them.