[center][url=https://fontmeme.com/signature-fonts/][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/181005/41c405fb97b9e0467e0a0c258c7e14f0.png[/img][/url][/center] [hider=Leading up to Pairing Day] The Noilas' mage population had thinned a bit over the past few weeks, as it did every year, as Princess Ryner's personal flock of organizers and instructors prepared for the new session at Noila Academy, and the new arrivals that came with it; one such new arrival, for the first time, in their own midst. When Aaron first heard the news, he'd been nearly bowled over in shock. He hadn't heard by customary hand-written letter (although he did eventually receive one as a formality) but rather by his mother, sent by Princess Ryner herself, beaming in pride as she delivered the good news that he would be the first ever in the Starag line to attend the Academy. Except for Aaron, it hadn't been good news. Rather, it felt like a punch to the gut, for a moment turning his entire world hazy. Prestigious as it may be, the Academy had never been a place for the Starag mages; their place had always been at the sides of the Noilas, having been tutored and trained individually under their watchful gaze, finely tuned specifically to serve them. Yes, it was true that the Academy was Princess Ryner's pride and joy and only child, but it had just never been necessary for a Starag to go there. Their partners had always been decided far in advance, and always from the Noila line, unlike the melting pot of the Academy. A long, long standing tradition being defied for the first time. Initially devastated, Aaron had thought he'd done something wrong, that he'd somehow failed and was being disposed of in a classier manner than most. He didn't dare refuse or voice his concerns (being a squeaky wheel wouldn't improve his standings) but his mind swirled all the same. What had he done? Why didn't any of the Noilas want him? He'd been dedicated and well-performing all his life, had that not been enough? For days his mind reeled, until finally he came to a few different conclusions. The Noila family had always held the Starags close at hand, had never once given one to anyone outside of the family. When there had been poorly performing Starag mages, they'd been given to distant relatives of low standing, but never outside the family and never outright ejected. So what had changed now? With the Moonlight Court, it could have been anything. What snippets of gossip Aaron heard (there was no shortage of those) always spoke of turbulent relations between this house and that one, the names always changing but the theme remaining the same. Friction. In the past, mages of other prestigious lines had been given as gifts, gestures of good will, from one house to another. Could this be something like that? If so, why choose such a young mage as himself and not one of the many excellent older ones who had already proven themselves? Or perhaps Princess Ryner thought it was time to integrate the Starags into her precious Academy? She took such pride in it, it would make sense for her to think it more than adequate for the training of young mages for her own family's use. Maybe she wanted their representation in the Academy as a gesture of goodwill and confidence, to show that even the royal family valued an Academy mage. Aaron had wracked his brain for a young Noila vampire who might also be attending the Academy. Maybe he was to be given to a Noila, but through a non-traditional method. As the days ticked down toward the opening ceremony, Aaron decided he preferred the latter option. It made far more sense. The royal family was deciding to get with the times and admit their mages to their own Academy. That must have been it. With that in mind, Aaron's mood pricked up considerably, excitement growing for the first day. Yes, he was being given an opportunity to represent the Starag family (and by extension, the Noila one as well) at the most prestigious academy in the world, and he was determined to make the most of it, and make his family proud. [/hider] The mage's quarters of the Noila castle had abuzz with anticipation all evening, some of its residents having gotten up early to make any last-minute preparations for the occasion ahead. Aaron had been up since before sunset, running through mental checklists, making doubly and triply sure nothing had been forgotten. He'd sharpened and polished his sword to a mirror shine and conditioned the leather grip to a velvety softness; his suit had been thoroughly pressed and steamed, and now there he was, meticulously groomed, repeatedly smoothing the lapel of his black suit jacket, straightening his mustard yellow tie and making sure his slacks hung nicely with the scabbard on his hip. Naturally, he was ready before he needed to be, and now was stuck, abuzz with excitement and nervous anticipation, sitting on a bench in the mage's foyer and waiting for the moment he'd be called out to the car. Elbows on his knees, his whole body bounced as his one leg tapped a feverish rhythm on the marble floor. He could see his expression of tense energy in the toes of his mirror-polished shoes. His hands ceaselessly fiddled, spinning the crystal ring on his finger. Gentle footsteps cascaded down the foyer staircase, announcing the arrival of Aaron's mother, gliding down the stairs and taking a seat next to her son on the bench. Her eyes, the same cerulean blue as Aaron's, shone wetly with unshed tears; however, her lips were stretched in a bittersweet smile across her gently lined face. "Look at my boy," she cooed, a slight shake in her voice, "all grown up and leaving the nest." She reached out a pale hand in motherly fashion to swipe a stray hair into place, and settled it on Aaron's lapel, flattening it. Aaron hadn't left much undone by way of preening, but a mother could always find something to fix. Aaron smiled at his mother's words, eyes stinging and threatening to tear at the tone of her voice. [color=CBBA2E]"Don't say that Mom,"[/color] he reasoned, taking her hand in his and settling them on his leg, [color=CBBA2E]"You know I'll be back."[/color] His mother nodded, flicking her gaze away to search for something in the pocket of her cardigan. "I know," she said, producing a small object. It was a pair of little gold cufflinks, barely the size of a fingertip, shaped like little shields and embossed with the symbol of a rampant stag. A very small rendition of the Starag family crest. Aaron's mother busied herself with fastening them to his sleeves. Aaron felt a lump form in his throat, but he firmly swallowed it. The little crests shone against the black of his jacket, catching the warm light of the room. When he looked up from them, his mother's welled-up tears had dried. Just then, a horn sounded outside; it was time to go. The two stood. "I know you'll make us proud, my sweet." His mother's voice no longer shook, but it was soft and gentle as ever. Aaron pulled her into a hug, her face barely reaching his collarbone. [color=CBBA2E]"I will, Mom."[/color] He said, looking down at her. From this angle, he could see how the silver in her hair was starting to overwhelm the gold. [color=CBBA2E]"I'm going to make you all proud."[/color] His mother broke away as the horn outside sounded again, and Aaron bent to give her a kiss on the cheek before she ushered him out to the car. [center][color=CBBA2E]~ / / / ~[/color][/center] The two hour car ride it took to reach the Academy was the longest of Aaron's life. He'd spent it fiddling with his ring and clothes, spending close to twenty minutes making absolutely sure the crisp white collar laid properly and another five staring at his cufflinks. Periodically he drew out his phone, but there was nothing to say to anyone, so he settled for cleaning the screen. When the ride mercifully ended at the gates of the Academy, it took a good chunk of Aaron's self-control not to burst out immediately and instead wait for the driver to open his door. A lot of formality for a mage perhaps, but there was nothing the royal family did that they didn't do in style. For a second, Aaron was mildly amused by the fact that he would probably be the one opening doors from now on. The moment the door opened, amusement turned to awe. Aaron's heart fluttered with excitement, and he took a deep breath to steady its beating. He glanced down at the heart rate meter on his smartwatch. 78. Good. [color=CBBA2E]"Thank you Mathias,"[/color] Aaron nodded to the driver as he stepped into the moonlight. The driver nodded back and got back into the car to take his luggage to his new lodging; an address Aaron had yet to learn. The crisp nighttime air was a welcome change from the stuffiness of the car, and Aaron took another breath. He was a touch early, as he should be, but the opulent courtyard already had people milling about. He was handed an envelope and tucked it into the inside pocket of his jacket. Back straight, Aaron walked through the crowd (careful not to hit anyone with the scabbard on his left hip), greeting people with a genuine smile and the occasional handshake. He introduced himself to a few mages and made small talk (even got rudely brushed off by a brown-haired one who looked to be sulking), but made sure not to address any vampires unless they addressed him first; one of many etiquette lessons he'd learned and adhered to that some might find a little stiff. At some point he accepted a glass of champagne from a server's tray - it was rude to refuse refreshment when offered - but sipped it sparingly. It certainly wouldn't be enough to get him drunk, but he had made it a general rule to avoid alcohol with the interest of preserving his blood quality. He could see a couple of mages in the crowd who might not have adhered to such principles. Suddenly, the crowd parted, and a regal figure strutted through and onto the lip of the spectacular fountain in the centre of the courtyard. Aaron's face split into a wide smile. It was Princess Ryner, flanked on either side by her mages William and Sariel, both of whom Aaron was very familiar with. Turbulent as the situation was for Aaron, it was nice to see some familiar faces. He listened intently to the princess' speech, depositing his champagne glass with a server so he could applaud when she finished. He had always loved hearing her speak; her silver tongue had been sharpened by centuries of practice and she was a pleasure to listen to. When the applause died down and the princess made her leave, he finally pulled out his envelope and deftly tore into it. The picture was of a red-haired young vampire, a male, with a strange expression - something like smugness, but something else too. The name, however, dropped a cannonball into Aaron's stomach: Varis Sinnenodel. A noble, yes, but not a Noila. Not a member of the family the Starags had served for hundreds of years. The family Aaron loved, the one he had always dreamed of dutifully serving until the day he died. In fact, he was a member of the family who had made a sport out of antagonizing the Moonlight Court. The name rung a bell in Aaron's mind, however. Chatter from some of the Queen's advisors. Varis Sinnenodel... Lady Sinnenodel's protege? Okay, so maybe he wasn't being thrown away by the royal family after all. Maybe he was a gesture of good faith - albeit the first one so close to the royals - to the Sinnenodel clan. To foster good will. That must be it. If so, he had to make a good impression. Aaron nodded down at the photograph, flicking it absently with his ring finger before tucking it back into his pocket and taking off searching. He weaved through the crowd, not sure where to start, and decided on checking the open bars in each corner of the courtyard. The first two turned up nothing, and it was getting harder by the minute to make his way through the crowd as people searched for their own respective charges. As he made his way to the next one, eyes searching over the heads of the crowd for a red spot, he bumped right into someone. Aaron jumped back, inwardly cursing himself for being so irresponsibly inattentive. [color=CBBA2E]"Oh my goodness,"[/color] he blurted out before even looking up, [color=CBBA2E]"I am so-"[/color] His words caught in his throat when he finally looked down at the person he'd nearly bowled over, and for a second his eyes went wide. She was... [i]beautiful.[/i] Long white hair tumbling in spiral waves, jewel-toned blue eyes, and radiant pale skin that practically glowed in the moonlight. She was stunning, and for a second, Aaron didn't know what to do. He blinked once, and quickly recovered, clearing his throat and straightening himself, suddenly remembering his manners. [color=CBBA2E]"...Aaron,"[/color] he finished as he stuck out his hand in greeting, a grin splitting across his face. [color=CBBA2E]"I'm Aaron, and so sorry for bumping into you."[/color] Genuine concern bloomed in his eyes. [color=CBBA2E]"Are you alright?"[/color] [hider=Mentions][@Achronum][@Hero][/hider]