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The fact that Princess Ryner not only knew exactly who she was but addressed her directly had completely blown Lilie away. Being shocked was the least of it, she actually had no idea how she was supposed to respond. Casual? Formal? Laugh it off? Beg for forgiveness? She was momentarily stunned, blinking slowly as her head tried to process what was currently happening without panicking. Okay, the correct thing to do was to offer a greeting back. Mercifully the two mages were either giving her some space or pretending not to notice the stuttering girl, but either way she was grateful. 

Brushing her bangs off her forehead, she threw on what she thought was a more approachable smile, although she wasn't entirely sure it came across that way. [color=deepskyblue]"Oh, Lilie is fine, I was just, um, surprised--you just said that,"[/color] She inwardly cursed her apparent inability to properly introduce herself, clearing her throat as she made an attempt to recover. 

[color=deepskyblue]"The first night was--"[/color] She briefly paused as the day's events ran through her head, letting out a slightly choked laugh. [color=deepskyblue]"--eventful. But um...I didn't really know what to expect…"[/color] She trailed off with a small shrug. 

[color=bc8dbf]“Between a sudden change of lifestyle and the revolving door of partners, it must all be a touch overwhelming. For that I sincerely apologize. The Eve household’s instability seems to be leaking into the Academy’s affairs as much as I dislike it.”[/color] The Princess apologized. [color=bc8dbf]“If anything should become too much, please don’t hesitate to find me. Even if its only to lend an ear to your troubles, there is little I would not do to make the transition into your new life as smooth as possible.”[/color] The edge of her smile dipped down for a brief second as an almost regretful look crossed her face but it disappeared as soon as it appeared, genuine happiness replacing it.

[color=bc8dbf]“Tell me about your first day! What have you done? What questions do you have? I always love having a new perspective!”[/color] Ryner asked eagerly. [color=bc8dbf]“I want mages to worry for naught so they can focus on learning anything they wish without distraction.”[/color]

Oh wow, the princess knew about all that? Lilie's surprise was more subdued, though the mention of the Eve house did strike her as odd. So the revolving door of vampires was because something was going on that she didn't know about. It didn't clarify anything, but it was better than nothing. Her followup humbled Lilie greatly, the pale girl's face blushing a bit. Did the princess really care? It was a nice thought, though now she felt bad for her previous line of thinking. She managed to catch the regretful expression, Lilie's eyes widening for a second. But she moved on quickly before she could properly inquire and her enthusiasm was infectious.

[color=deepskyblue]"Um, I've mostly been hanging out with mages. Making friends and stuff,"[/color] Lilie said, gently rocking on her heels. [color=deepskyblue]"But I know I'm here to learn, and I can't wait to dive into magic. I'm excited to learn everything I can from class and I'm sure I'll be spending my spare time in the library."[/color]

She gave Ryner a small, earnest smile. [color=deepskyblue]"I'm not sure there's enough hours in the day--night to ask everything,"[/color] She admitted sheepishly, shaking her head for a moment. Although if she was serious, maybe she would get the chance to ask after all. [color=deepskyblue]"I mean, I do have a good friend to help, too, so I wouldn't want to waste your time when I'm sure he can answer almost everything."[/color]

[color=bc8dbf]“My students can never be a waste of my time. I’d much rather be here to help guide you than be away attending to my other duties but as you say, there are never enough hours in the night.”[/color] Ryner objected with a matching shake of her head. [color=bc8dbf]“And if I may, you are not here to learn. I brought you here to grow and while your scholastic aspirations are certainly important, it may not always be the path you need then. Make sure to leave time to relax and make friends, to have fun and find a passion. If I find you in the library too often, I’ll put you on mandatory break.”[/color] Ryner threatened with a chuckled. 

[color=bc8dbf]“If I recall properly, you were on track to become quite a figure in the fencing circuit. Do you plan to work with your partner to continue your fencing career?”[/color] Ryner asked.

Lilie was a little confused by Ryner's words. Wasn't learning and growing the same thing? If she didn't study, how else was she going to learn spells and improve her magic? She'd just have to take her word for it, nodding slowly in understanding. That was a joke, hopefully, or so she hoped as Lilie's weaker laugh accompanied Ryner's. Her jaw dropped a bit when the princess mentioned her fencing, though her immediate thought was last night's duel, blushing slightly in embarrassment. Oh, she knew about that too? But she felt like she hadn't really gotten that far yet, or at least her previous plans were halted by having to go to the Academy. She was pretty sure that the princess knew more about her fencing than her own partner did, too. 

[color=deepskyblue]"Well, I would, but, um, I don't think Mari--Countess Mariette knows about that,"[/color] Should she admit she hasn't seen her partner at all today? Tonight, whatever. Lilie wasn't exactly sure how to say it, deciding that there was no better way than to just admit it. [color=deepskyblue]"After I ran away from Princess Nox last night, we haven't really spoken since then. I think I'm in trouble but I'm not sure because she hasn't said anything to me."[/color]

[color=bc8dbf]“She hasn’t had a moment to speak with you about your life previous to this?”[/color] Ryner’s brow furrowed in concern, clearly displeased with this information. [color=bc8dbf]“Most vampires do so immediately, if even only to ensure you are taking care of yourself appropriately. That is highly unusual.”[/color] She made a humming noise as she mulled it over but eventually the furrow fade and she smiled at Lilie again.

[color=bc8dbf]“I’m sure you’ll handle it soon enough. And if not, come to me and we can smooth this misunderstanding out together. A healthy partnership is essential to both a vampire and mage’s success here and outside of this Academy.”[/color] Ryner sighed with a slight shake of her head. [color=bc8dbf]“And I’m sure you have nothing to worry about with your unfortunate meeting with my sister. According to her report, she requested the Nobles and their mages return to their dorms. She can’t reasonably fault you for following a Royal’s orders; her word is law in these situations after all. My sister isn’t particularly known for tolerating those who cross her and cared even less for the political implications of her actions.”[/color] It was faint but just a hint of exasperation made its way into her tone as she spoke about her sister.

Lilie nodded again, unsure how to respond. Now that she thought about it, she felt like it was her fault that they weren't getting along. Maybe she needed to listen to Salem and the Astorio vampire after all. At the very least she wouldn't be getting in trouble for running, so that was a massive relief. There was something greatly amusing about hearing the princess be exasperating, humanizing her in the girl's eyes.

[color=deepskyblue]"It sounds like even royalty has to deal with stubborn siblings! Sometimes I feel like I'm the older sibling and my brother's the younger one, he always has to have things his way just because instead of making things easy,"[/color] Lilie was more openly exasperated as she spoke about her brother, teasing the princess slightly. [color=deepskyblue]"But that's family for you. What would we do without them, right?"[/color]

[color=bc8dbf]“Yes, whatever would we do without them.”[/color] A rueful smile replaced her pleasant one, a far away look in her eyes. Her shoulders fell slightly as whichever memory playing in her mind’s eye weighed heavily on her. For a moment, Ryner’s façade cracked and the elegant creature disappeared, only a woman dragging centuries of regrets, of disappointment, of failure. But within the blink of an eye, it was gone and an almost lively warmth replaced it with an outright grin. The ghost of a mischievous smirk hid behind the expression, like a muscle memory that stubbornly resisted change. 

[color=bc8dbf]“Tell me more about your family. I’m afraid I know little more than that you have one.”[/color] Ryner took a seat on a nearby bench, gesturing for Lilie to do the same. [color=bc8dbf]“It’s nice to hear you have more than a passing relationship with them. Good family will always be your most fervent supporters after all.”[/color]

Despite the pleasantness of the conversation, the princess was making Lilie feel like she was walking a tightrope, the look on Ryner's face a little concerning. She was really good at snapping back to normal and continuing like nothing happened, though. Lilie was a little jealous; she had a hard time keeping her own expressiveness under wraps. She obediently followed Ryner, hoping her nerves wouldn't get the best of her as she sat down. Her heart was racing again as she realized she was sitting down with the princess! But she wasn't going to panic. Well, she was already panicking a little, but she couldn't help herself. As she took in a deep breath to calm herself down, she took advantage of the moment to admire the vampire. Their supernatural beauty was universal, and maybe it was because she wasn't completely afraid of her, but now that she was actually looking at her, the princess was stunning even compared to other vampires.

She snapped out of her staring once the princess spoke again, tucking a stray hair behind her ear as she sat up properly. [color=deepskyblue]"Well, I have my parents and my brother. I'm pretty close to my aunt, too, we spent a lot of time together when I was growing up,"[/color] Lilie told her, fishing her phone out of her pocket and scrolling through her Instagram for a second before showing it to Princess Ryner. The photo showed a short haired woman grabbing a grumpy looking young man who looked none too pleased, an older man behind him with sparkling blue eyes laughing with Lilie herself in the front, the angle showing that she was the one that had taken the picture. All three of them bore slightly darker blue eyes and shades of brown hair, contrasting Lilie's white hair. [color=deepskyblue]"We have a bakery that my papa's family has had for generations, he's been a baker all his life. My mom helps him out, but she used to be an instructor at the Lorelai Institute--she's the reason I got into fencing--and my brother's in college studying information technology."[/color]

Lilie looked down at the picture fondly before putting her phone away. As she looked up, she spotted a familiar face, doing a double take to make sure she had the right guy. Looks like he had time to go back to the dorm and change before whatever it was that he was doing. At least he didn't look so nervous anymore. Mission accomplished! She talked to the princess and only had a few minor panic attacks and Aaron made it in time.

[color=deepskyblue]"Oh, there's my new best friend Aaron,"[/color] Lilie joked, waving him over. [color=deepskyblue]"There you are! You ran away so fast after class!"[/color]

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[sub][right]Interacting with: [@Achronum][@Obscene Symphony][/right][/sub]