Eleanor stopped by the market on her way home, arms laden with a whole pumpkin bought cheaply and Louis' empty lunchbox. As she navigated the cobblestone streets, she spotted three familiar black-robed figures—court magicians she'd rather avoid.
Too late. The shortest of them grinned, sauntering over. "Well, if it isn't Lord Styras' little maid!"
"Shouldn't you be at the institute?" Eleanor kept her voice steady. "Lunch break ended hours ago."
"Call it… self-care." The man smirked. "Lord Styras says we shouldn't overwork ourselves, right?"
His companions chuckled. The spectacled one adjusted his glasses. "His Lordship's so considerate."
Eleanor's jaw tightened. These were Louis' disgruntled subordinates—talented mages overshadowed by his meteoric rise. Their envy curdled into petty harassment.
"Let go!" She jerked her arm as they herded her into an alley.
"Relax," the leader sneered. "We just want to see His Lordship's face when his precious pet comes home bruised."
A pumpkin thudded to the ground.
Then—
A gale erupted. Icy winds sliced between them, forcing the men back. Lumina Styras stood at the alley's mouth, school satchel still slung over her shoulder. Golden hair whipped like a banner as her magic crackled.
"Release her. Now ."
The marketplace froze. Civilians whispered, recognizing the Styras crest embroidered on Lumina's uniform.
The magicians retreated, outmatched not by force, but by optics. A public scandal with the Chief Magician's sister? Not worth it.
---
Domestic Calm
That evening, Lumina chattered as Eleanor diced onions. "Louis said there's a sorcerer in the Eastern kingdoms who drinks two thousand cups of tea a year! He's 150 years old!"
"Your brother tells the strangest tales." Eleanor sighed, stirring a pot of summer squash stew. "But I suppose hot stew in summer isn't so odd compared to that."
The front door glowed blue. Louis materialized within a teleportation circle—his own invention that had cemented his rank.
"Trouble today?" He sipped the tea Eleanor poured, voice deceptively mild.
Lumina launched into an animated retelling. Louis' smile never wavered, but his teacup clinked sharply against its saucer.
"Practice tonight," he announced. "The Nilrod Highlands."
Eleanor groaned. "That death trap? I was ambushed!"
"Precisely why you need to be sharper." Louis' gaze turned glacial. "And as for those three…"
He didn't finish. He didn't need to.