Acceptance

Chapter Nineteen: A New Normal | Part 4

The next morning, Thirtyx glowered at the dining hall wall as Rhea unraveled the poultice-streaked bandage she’d wrapped around his hand the night before. “Hmm…” she muttered. “It looks fine now. Let me know what you think.”

“I think I’m an idiot.”

Benn gestured to Thirtyx with his spoon. “I think you’re a person who keeps having things he cares about taken away from him and is allowed to be mad about it.”

Thirtyx flexed his fingers and was somewhat annoyed that they felt as good as new—like there should be some lingering punishment for his outburst. “It feels wrong to be mad. Seerla hasn’t done anything wrong. And her parents…” He breathed a bitter sigh. “Can you really blame them?”

“Yes,” Benn and Rhea said in unison.

“Telling any seventeen year old who they can and can’t hang out with—especially one who grew up in a boarding school—is a little ridiculous,” Benn said. “Why become a parent if you can’t trust at some point that your kid knows themself and their friends better than you do?”

Mr. Blackstone walked by then and tossed two letters onto their table. They were nearly identical, addressed in shiny golden ink—one to Rhea and one to Benn.

“Are these from the palace?” Rhea studied hers with a quizzical look. “Since when does the palace use the post instead of its massive fleet of ravens?”

“No idea.” Benn slit his open with his thumb. “Unless…”

“Unless what—” Rhea looked at Benn with a sudden, wild understanding.

The two sprang from their seats.

Thirtyx, having also surmised the envelopes’ contents, backed away from the table as both twins attempted to climb atop it. Rhea got a knee up first, but Benn grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back to the floor. He tried to pin her with one hand while clambering up with the other, but she easily slipped away from him and snuck under the table to come out the other side. There, she tilted the table until the plates began sliding, and Benn relented to avoid a scene.

Not that they weren’t one already. The entire dining hall watched Benn round the table to grapple his sister. As Rhea struggled, Thirtyx heard her whisper, “You got the high score on the Magic Comp. Let me have this!”

Benn didn’t appear to let up, but Rhea broke free with suspicious ease, and Benn’s attempts to pull her down as she mounted the table were halfhearted. With a theatrical clear of her throat, Rhea stood.

“Dear Miss Rhea Grimmary. The royal palace of His Majesty King Grimmary is pleased to inform you that you have been accepted for an apprenticeship position in diplomacy and political affairs, with an effective start date of Haptos 25, in the capital city of Athernel.“

The room erupted into applause—some genuine, some ingratiating, and some accompanied by eye rolling. Thirtyx chuckled as he clapped. Each year, the speed of apprenticeship acceptances became a de facto competition, egged on by the tradition of public announcement. Perhaps it was a bit unfair that the two people born into their apprenticeship roles had earned the fastest responses.

Benn extended a hand to help Rhea down then clambered up after her. “Dear Mr. Benn Grimmary. The royal palace of His Majesty King Grimmary is pleased to inform you that you have been accepted for an apprenticeship position in strategy and national defense, with an effective start date of Haptos 25, in the capital city of Athernel. And yes, he did make us apply for these.”

More applause, interspersed with some chuckling. Thirtyx slid his chair back toward the table as Rhea helped Benn down. “Congratulations, you two.”

“Yes, I require so much congratulations for being abandoned on a train and looking so adorable that an off-world monarch wanted to adopt me,” Rhea quipped, although her grin betrayed that her irritation was a farce. She cast a longing look at her unfinished breakfast before slinging her bag over her shoulder. “We’d better get out of here before everyone starts fawning.”

Benn grimaced and reached for his own bag. “Good call.”

As Thirtyx followed suit, he flexed his freshly healed fingers and flashed the shadow of a smile. “Well, at least there’s some good news to brighten this day.”