“The same substance composes us — the tree overhead, the stone beneath us, the bird, the beast, the star — we are all one, all moving to the same end.” ― P.L. Travers, Mary Poppins

  ???

  Felix Carrington watched with barely concealed amusement, along with the rest of his classmates and peers, as Student Number whatever it was now, approached a visibly exasperated and semi-embarrassed Yuliana Nightray, with a bouquet of congratulatory flowers clutched nervously in his arms.

  “Congratulations on graduating, Heiress Nightray.”

  Yulia ignored the blatant snickering from her friends, forcing a polite smile. “Uh, yes. Thank you very much.”

  Not just Gale and Felix, but also Elias, Rowan, and Kaela broke down in peals of laughter the moment the wide-eyed student, who Felix was almost certain had to be a first year, walked away. Yulia shot them a glare, one brow twitching slightly, though it was hard to look menacing with a mountain of bouquets already piled beside her.

  “This is Student Number what, now?” Kaela managed to choke out through her laughter, wiping away tears of merriment from her eyes. “Though is it just me, or does it feel like half the students who have approached Yulia thus far look almost like they were trying to propose?”

  “Yeah, it’s not just you,” Felix grinned, nudging Kaela playfully in the side with his elbow. “Must suck to be so popular, huh, Miss Student Council President?” He teased Yulia lightly, who only gave him the stink eye.

  It was graduation day at the Imperial Officers Academy for the departing third years, and like all graduation days that the Academy had held since its inception, the day was one marked with joy, bittersweet farewells, and even quiet pride that filled the school grounds. The scent of lilacs was carried into the school grounds by the breeze, with the petals from the flowering trees lining the cobblestone paths of the Academy’s front courtyard fluttering down to form a soft pink carpet.

  Banners bearing Alathia’s symbol hung proudly from the Academy’s walls and wrapped around its marble pillars. Nearby, music drifted gently from the fountain courtyard where the Music Club was performing.

  The graduates, all dressed in their Academy uniforms for what was likely the last time, roamed the open spaces in tight-knit clusters, with the graduating silver pins on their collars catching the sunlight.

  Some were saying their last goodbyes to their peers, juniors, and even their instructors. Others were simply basking in the moment. For the heirs of noble houses, most would be returning home to begin their education in governance and inheritance. For the commoners, it was a short reprieve before they move on to the next part of their lives. In most cases, their next path would be with the various military branches in Alathia.

  Families were already arriving for the day, proud smiles on their faces as they embraced their children, proud of all they’ve achieved for the past three years, and the connections that they have made. Uniformed soldiers from various military divisions were visible, too. For most of them, their presence was not merely ceremonial. Many were present to scout for fresh talent.

  Yulia rolled her eyes at the good-natured teasing of her friends. “Don’t you all have families to join?” she asked, her tone lightly sarcastic. “I see your families’ carriages, Gale, Elias. And Felix, Kaela, I believe I see Lord Kael as well.”

  Felix and Kaela blinked owlishly. “Lord Kael?” Kaela echoed, whipping her head towards the Academy gates only to see the towering figure of their provincial lord stepping through the gates, a proud smile on his face. Beside him walked Baron Giles Carrington, his vassal, and also Felix’s father. A third man walked on his other side that most guessed might be Kaela’s father. “It really is him! Why would he come here for our graduations?” Kaela was perplexed.

  Not just Yulia, but also Gale, Elias, and Rowan were all giving Kaela strange looks. “Uh… Maybe because Lord Kael actually sponsored you into the Academy, Kaela?” Rowan offered, being the first to speak. “And from what I heard, Lord Kael always attends the graduations of those he sponsors, especially the children of his vassals.”

  “Come on, Felix, let’s go greet him!” Kaela cried, grabbing Felix by the wrist and dragging him along before he could protest.

  “Well, guess we won’t be seeing either of them for the rest of the day,” Rowan whistled. “I’m going to walk the halls for the last time and say thank you to the instructors.” He looked at his three friends. “Guess you three better go say hello to your families.”

  Yulia, Gale, and Elias exchanged looks when Rowan walked away towards the entrance of the Academy building, whistling a jaunty tune. Unlike most students in the Academy, no one had come for Rowan. He was a street orphan, with no one but himself and his friends to mark his milestone. The only other person who might be able to understand him was Leighton Curnow.

  “Well, guess I’d better go say hello to my mother,” Elias said at last. “Gale, I see your parents. Isla’s here, too.”

  “And I see my House,” Yulia murmured, spotting Gareth stepping into the courtyard, being flanked by a contingent of House Nightray members. Thankfully, they wore civilian clothes today instead of their assassin gear, though their presence was no less intimidating. Several students nearly jumped out of their way as they approached. “I’ll catch up with you later, if possible.”

  “Yeah, later,” Gale called out, already distracted, and making his way toward his family. Lord Valemire was already speaking with one of their combat instructors, a proud smile on his face. His sister, who would be attending the Academy next year, was standing next to their mother, an excited grin on her face, and waving to Gale even as he approached.

  “Lady Yuliana!” One of the younger House members was the first to reach Yulia, a bright grin on his face. “Congratulations on graduating!”

  “Thank you,” Yulia replied with a small smile on her face. “But really, you didn’t need to come all this way.” Her gaze flickered across the rest of the House members who have arrived for her graduation, with not just Gareth, but also Jaden Nightray amongst their midst.

  One of the older House members clutched his chest dramatically. “Not attend our lady’s graduation?” he gasped in mock horror. “You couldn’t keep me away for all the gold in Alathia!”

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  The rest of them nodded in unison.

  “We’re the representatives,” Another explained. “The others wanted to come, too, but Gareth managed to convince them that we can’t all leave, so we had a little competition to decide who would be coming, and who would remain behind.”

  Yulia raised a brow. “I’m almost afraid to ask what kind of ‘competition’ it is,” she almost drawled, and her House members exchanged grins. Knowing her House, it could be something as innocent as a drinking competition, to something completely ridiculous.

  “By the way, my lady…” Jaden was eyeing the mountain of bouquets behind Yulia. “What’s with all the bouquets?”

  Yulia sighed. “Congratulatory bouquets,” she muttered. “Apparently, this is what happens when you’re Student Council President.”

  Jaden’s grin widened. “Well… That’s…a lot.”

  “That’s putting it mildly,” Yulia muttered, eyeing the bouquets like they would bite her. “I probably have enough to open my own flower shop.”

  There were chuckles from her House members, even as Gareth smiled proudly. “But you’ve finally graduated, my lady,” he said. “And not just graduated, but at the top of your class. And as Student Council President, furthermore.” The normally stern man looked very emotional, much to the amusement of the rest of them. “Oh, Lord Hamilton and Lady Selene would be so damn proud if they could see you now.” His eyes went towards the sky above, with not a cloud to be seen. “My lord… My lady… Are you seeing this?”

  Jaden snorted in amusement, even as the rest of the House members tried to either bite their lips to stifle their amusement, or hide their amusement behind their hands. “Gareth, are you crying?”

  Predictably, that had the normally stern retainer bristle like a hurt porcupine. “Quiet, you impudent whelp!” Gareth barked instantly, rounding on Jaden. “Can’t I be proud of our lady? And I’m not crying! I just got dust in my eye!”

  “Sure, whatever you say,” said another member, chuckling. “Must be a lot of dust going around.”

  Light laughter rippled across the group, all of them here to attend their heiress’s triumph. And in just a few short months, she would officially take up the mantle as the head of House Nightray.

  Around the courtyard, several people—commoners and nobles alike, who recognised the Nightray colours and crest, gave them a wide berth, but in classic Nightray fashion, they ignored it.

  It is a common reaction from most commoners or minor nobility, especially those residing in the capital. The reputation of House Nightray is well-known, and they were widely known as one of the most dangerous families in Alathia.

  The kingdom’s sword in the dark. The royal guardians. The assassins. Spies. Bodyguards. The shadows in the palace halls. The ones you don’t see coming.

  They were feared for a reason.

  Yulia, however, found her eyes drifting across the courtyard.

  Several of her peers were already gathered with their families.

  Nathan Hunt was squawking and yelping in protest, trying to fend off Cassian Hunt as the older Hunt brother ruffled his hair like a child, much to Nathan’s annoyance, even as their father laughed in amusement. Gale was twirling his sister in a mock dance as their mother laughed in genuine delight, whereas Lord Valemire watched proudly.

  Even the normally stern Lady Rovaryn was smiling ear-to-ear, undeniably proud of her son, who had scored top when it came to the healing and poisons portion of the finals. “And from what one of the instructors was telling me, they would be worried for any enemy you might have,” Lady Rovaryn was telling Elias in amusement. “They’d better sleep with one eye open.”

  And then, Yulia’s gaze fell on Prince Rem.

  He was standing apart from the celebrating students and their families, near the main entrance of the Academy building, his expression unreadable. He was looking forlornly at the students who were celebrating with their families, or in the case of some like Yulia, have their House members or relatives come to celebrate with them.

  Rem’s gaze had fallen on Lord Kael, who was smiling proudly, one large, calloused hand resting on the shoulders of Felix and Kaela, treating them as he treated his sons. His smile was broad and unrestrained, the kind of warmth he reserved only for those he considered his own. Baron Carrington and Mr Merrin were standing beside him, equally proud, with both men practically glowing at the sight of Felix and Kaela being amongst the Academy’s top ten graduates.

  And while both Felix and Kaela had no lack of offers from the various military branches, Yulia is certain that they would likely be joining Lord Kael’s garrisons instead. Felix was already promised a vassal position, but he would likely want to get some combat and military experience under his belt before he succeeds his father as Lord Kael’s vassal. And Baron Carrington looks as if he still has a good decade or two left in him before his retirement.

  Rem’s gaze was forlorn and even full of guilt as he looked at Lord Kael’s party. The lord of the Northern Holds had been nursing a grudge the size of the Imperial Palace still, and seemed to go out of his way to oppose Rem at every single Parliament session held in the past year since the Crown Prince had started trying to fix things.

  And if Yulia is being honest, she couldn’t blame Lord Kael. His anger was entirely justified. The man had made it clear more than once that if Rem wasn’t the last surviving heir of royal blood, he would never have offered his support.

  And every single time Yulia heard that, she could feel her heart clench with the reminder of Luca.

  And if Yulia felt conflicted, the look on Rem’s face whenever Lord Kael said that in his earshot made Rem look like someone had just gutted him.

  Unlike the rest of the graduates, no one had come to celebrate Rem’s graduation, save for Gaius Merren and two members of the Crownsguards. In contrast, their group was quiet and distant, with Rem merely watching the other graduates wistfully.

  The rest of the kingdom have long memories, particularly the students who resided outside the Imperial City. Their attitudes towards Rem have been cool at best throughout the past year, with some being openly hostile, especially if they hail from the border territories or the Northern Holds, like Kaela and Felix.

  Yulia and Rem’s Crownsguards could protect him from knives and arrows, but not from words, which can hurt more than physical blows could. Nathan and Leighton, too, had kept their mouths shut, even though they looked like they wanted to say something more than once, especially Nathan.

  Yulia had seen it in the way how Nathan clenched his fists, his jaw tight, and his eyes flashing with rage. But he never spoke a word.

  “If Rem can’t handle this now, it’s going to be worse for him once he assumes the throne officially as the king less than a year from now,” Yulia had told Nathan during the start of their third year, when the latter had overheard one of their peers muttering something vile about Rem. “All we can do for him is just be there and support him in the ways we can. You can’t shield Rem from everything, Hunt.”

  And surprisingly, Nathan had actually listened to her.

  Yulia pressed her lips together before she turned back to her gathered House members. “Would you mind waiting here? I would like to speak with the prince.”

  Most of her House frowned and exchanged dark looks. Gareth, however, nodded, though he didn’t look too pleased either. “Of course, Lady Yuliana,” he said. “We should at least offer the Crown Prince our congratulations.”

  Yulia nodded, turning on her heel and walking toward Rem. The moment that she was out of earshot, Gareth rounded on the members who were there for Yulia, his voice low and firm.

  “I understand that we’re all still feeling upset over what the prince did, or didn’t do in this case.” The look on Gareth’s face told everyone present that he isn’t happy with the Crown Prince either, his voice low with a hint of warning, “I haven’t forgotten what he’s done, either. But remember who we are. It wouldn’t do for House Nightray to show such disrespect towards Prince Rem. And in public, furthermore. We would only dishonour ourselves. It is one thing for Lady Yuliana to call Prince Rem out. She’s his guardian. It’s her duty. But if we do, it is treason.”

  One of the women present crossed her arms, frowning deeply. “It wouldn’t do for us to tarnish our House’s name,” she muttered irritably.

  “I still don’t like it. He doesn’t deserve our loyalty. Or Lady Yuliana,” Another grumbled, his eyes flashing daggers. “How many times have Lady Yuliana gone to him over the years, begging him to do something? And what did he do?” He nearly spat on the ground. “He just stood by while he let Parliament bleed the country dry, and let everyone starve.”

  “He did nothing,” A younger member growled.

  “Our people starved. So many died. I haven’t forgotten what he let happen to the kingdom and our territory.” Another agreed. “Recovery is still slow, and sure, we’re getting there, and he’s fixing things now. But it doesn’t bring back all the dead. Or fix Lady Yuliana’s heartbreak. He just…stood by and let it happen. The same way he just stood there and watched as Prince Lucien was banished for a gift he never even asked for.” He whispered the last line.

  Silence fell amongst the members as they exchanged dark looks.

  No one spoke. They didn’t need to.

  If not for their lady, not one of them would ever support the royal family, especially not after what happened with Luca, and then when Lord Hamilton died in a war that could have been avoided if the late king had simply listened.

  “Speaking of Luca… Does the prince still intend to keep him in exile?” One of the younger members muttered. “He’ll be eighteen in a matter of months. He’ll ascend to the throne as the king at the same time. The coronation isn’t far off.”

  Gareth sighed, drawing all eyes toward him. “It’s not our place to question him. Or even our lady,” he said. “Regardless of Prince Rem’s faults and sins in the past, it doesn’t change the fact that he is trying now.”

  “It doesn’t undo what happened,” One of the older members muttered. “Or bring back Lord Hamilton.”

  “Those sins are not his,” Another member countered. “But I understand why we’re all still angry. Even if Lady Yuliana said nothing, we all know. She’s still furious with him. She just doesn’t show it in front of us, as she knows how we all felt.”

  Gareth’s voice was low when he spoke again, “Lady Yuliana is giving him a chance. And if I know our lady at all, Prince Rem is on his last chance,” he said, and the others stilled. “And if our lady is doing so, we’ll do the same. We’ll watch him, like Lady Yuliana is doing.”

  Jaden sighed, raking a hand through his hair, his gaze following Yulia’s trek toward Prince Rem. “But if he fails again…” He trailed off slowly.

  No one needed him to finish the sentence.

  They were Nightrays. And they know their duty to the kingdom. And to the people.

  Even if it means turning those same blades onto the Crown if necessary.