She ventured into the main courtyard of the academy, a large open space with green grass with a few clustered trees.  Sunlight shone on her cheek as she walked out of the roofed hallway, held up by high marble columns.  Suddenly her coat was a little too warm, and as she walked, beads of sweat gathered at the back of her neck.

People lay scattered around the courtyard, some laying leisurely in the sun, some showing off their combat skills to their dis-interested friends.  It was a nice day, but she felt no need to bask in it.  She spent most of her time either in the city, bantering with Artemis, or on missions, and put little effort in creating friendships at the university.   It wasn’t a surprise.  She was here to get her training finished and become a diplomat of the Kingdom—that was it.

“Hey! Where’re you off to?"

A familiar voice.  A figure, Mira, waved to her from beneath a tree, speckles of shade cast on her and the person beside her—Trill? Trill.  Not a chosen, but pleasant enough.  Though she didn’t have many bard friends; they were a little too romantic to be around for more than a couple hours.  She stopped walking and moved to sit at the corner of the path, where the stone floor stepped down into grass.

“Hey, you two,” she flashed a pleasant smile and settled into a comfortable sitting position, “I’m heading to the city to some shopping, then a party in the evening.” which was actually a mission, but she said nothing of it. The Rivers was a noble house in the city, and Esme had been cordially invited to the birthday party of the eldest son out of pure luck.  The family was renowned for being disgustingly exclusive, but she’d encountered the boy’s uncle at a bar, where she challenged him to a drinking contest.  She won.

“It’s a beautiful day today; perfect weather for a horseback ride to the inner city.  Or laying in the grass, soaking up the sunshine.  They’re well deserved pleasures.”  She resisted tugging at her neck collar.  It was too hot, now.

”How're you doing? It’s not much longer before we complete training."