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It wasn't much of a surprise Lienna had been grouped with the commoners, she was merely betrothed to a noble and not quite one herself yet. Whoever was in charge of boarding arrangements probably gave a passing glance to her family name and moved on - or maybe they'd just watched her eat something. Seriously, she was dipping her fingers in that? That wasn't even ignorance, it was just dirty. No, that wasn't quite fair - she'd probably seen someone picking apart a dessert bread with their hands before and assumed all pastries were consumed that way.

She seemed a bit prickly, though Auberon supposed that could be attributed to the mix-up. Maybe she got into an argument over it. All the more reason to whip her into shape, if she was going to take her status that seriously. It wouldn't reflect well on her if she tried to leverage her husband's title against someone and the slighted party later caught her using a salad knife to butter bread. A shame she missed the sermon, too; as Derec said, it truly was remarkable. Auberon would have to discuss attending as a group with them, but some people were very private with their faith and he didn't want to impose. 

The blond worked on his meal while Lienna continued, in no rush to respond. The sauce did indeed salvage the dish, and he had to admit it certainly beat many dishes from Faerghus in the flavor department. Not that he was surprised, the climate was hardly ideal for growing spices. Kellen's addition caught him a bit off guard; he didn't expect the resident timid mouse to be very lively about the combative aspects of their education. If he intended to build confidence through prowess on the battlefield, though, Auberon certainly couldn't blame him. Besides, he was never going to trample the Black Eagles banner into the mud and rub His Imperial Highness' face in it if he was the only one devoted to their cause. A companion with a warrior's spirit was welcome and encouraged as far as Auberon was concerned. He set down his utensils on the plate and dabbed a bit of sauce off his lips with his napkin before responding.

[color=ffd700]"I did. No word on curriculum yet, but I can't imagine they'll make us wait too long. From what I hear about past years we have live combat exercises once a month or so, but the Archbishop did admit he intends to change things up. Professor Michail only gave me a quick overview of my responsibilities before I was whisked off by the Golden Deer's leader to meet the Crown Prince."[/color] Or delegated the task to Jorah, in any case, [color=ffd700]"I wouldn't worry though, I'm sure we'll be sparring in no time."[/color] Auberon nodded toward Kellen, taking his question as a sign of enthusiasm. [color=ffd700]"I'm in charge of assigning you all weekly chores around the monastery, so if you have any preferences or decide you have a sudden urge to do menial paperwork with me, do let me know. Since I don't really know any of you yet, I haven't quite decided on the specifics beyond that. Evidently a lesson in dining etiquette is in order for those of lower birth,"[/color] He made an open-palmed gesture toward Lienna's plate, [color=ffd700]"and Kellen should probably go meet with one of the tailors and do something about those sleeves, but those are both easily accomplished and shouldn't take more than an hour. As always, I'm open to suggestions."[/color] 

Being an authority figure here was hard - the academy wasn't structured in a way that made sense with the natural order of society. House Leaders weren't the sole figures meant to command - Kayden aside - and the rest of the House members weren't simply lessers meant to be commanded. Other than Derec, these were his future peers. Kellen even outranked him theoretically, though it would rely on the entire chain of succession before him dying tragically to occur in practice. Auberon had the burden of guiding their growth when he was in the same position they were. It was reassuring that they all expected grand plans out of him so soon, but the fact that he had nothing to give them without more information was a tad disheartening. He'd have to ask the Archbishop for guidance; at least one of his advisors among the Church must have an idea of what he could do to most effectively supplement the curriculum. 

[color=ffd700]"I was invited to tea with Lady von Edmund and the Archbishop earlier, so perhaps I'll have something more concrete for you all once I have more context on what exactly goes on here at the academy. Apologies, I'm a bit underinformed at the moment. Just know I won't settle for anything less than a total Blue Lions victory and I hope you all feel the same."[/color]

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