Page 26 of Vicious Princess
I bow my head and enter the castle. I remember the way to the office from my last time here. As I round the corner and approach the room, an Ezkai blocks my way.
“Name.” He doesn’t even glance up from the leather journal in his hands.
“Phoenix Wildarrow, sir.”
Quickly, he scans the list. Fae Decarios start lining up behind me, waiting for their turn. “Cadet Wildarrow, Oathsteel Squad,” the Ezkai says, looking up. His eyes widen a fraction when he notices myveryround,veryhuman ears.
I refrain from rolling my eyes.
“First door to the right,” he says.
I glance behind me. There must be hundreds of fae Decarios here today, all aiming for the Order of Ezkai.
The competition will be fierce.
“Off you go, human.”
Right.I dip my chin and dart around him, then through the door he pointed out.
Four rows composed of four chairs stand in the middle. Half the seats are already occupied by fae Decarios chatting quietly with each other. At the front is a large chalkboard full of scribbles. The rest of the space is bare, just naked stone floors and walls.
I take a corner seat on the last row, next to a fae my age. She wears green cloth pants with a matching top. It’s a clean outfit, but simple. If I had to guess, she’s not from high society. Her stark ginger hair, the color of autumn leaves, is braided into long, thick braid that reaches all the way to her hips.
She turns to me and gives me that infamous Ekiosh glance up and down. “Nice bow,” she says. “You’re a Phantom Ranger?”
I blink at her.What the fuck is a Phantom Ranger?“Thank you,” I say, looking at my bow with a frown. “I’m not sure.”
Her pink lips purse, and one manicured eyebrow rises. “Wetra or Emera?”
“I’m from Wetra. Are you from Jaakii or somewhere outside the city?”
Her gaze is as cold as the depths of winter. “My brother who served our General for decades, was captured by your human king and granted a death sentence under the pretense of threatening the peace treaty.”
Oh dear.
“I’m sorry about your loss,” I say. Her face remains impassive. “King Francis has taken something very precious to me, too. He’s an evil piece of shit.”
Unfortunately, it doesn’t win me any friendship points.
The fae gives me another glance and, without saying anything else, turns away. We sit in chilly silence until every seat in the room fills and an Ezkai with salt-and-pepper hair takes his place next to the chalkboard.
His jaw is sharp as the tips of his pointed ears, and tight. Eyes unkind. Apart from the color of his hair, no other sighs of aging are visible.
“Welcome to your orientation day, cadets. I’m Ezkai Lieutenant Xan, Scrivener Unit,” he says, voice powerful. “Today marks a very important day in the lives of many Decarios like you. As Decarios, you were gifted by the spirits of the gods with strength, agility, affinity to weapons and combat, and most importantly the gift of controlling and wielding emotions. Your moms and pops probably told you it makes you special. That possessing this power means you’re worthy of more. Well, you’re not special nor are you worthy.” His hard gaze sweeps over us. “You’re about to start the training that will determine whether you’re capable. Some of you will succeed and rise high. Some of you will give up, because this path is too hard for you to walk and you’ll understand that. And those of you who are not meant to be here, but are too stubborn to accept that, will die. Just because you were born a Decarios, it doesn’t mean you have the grit and resilience to be an Ezkai.”
That’s some motivational speech.
“Now, let me set some things straight right off the bat here,” he says, clasping his hands behind his back. “Ezkai Academy is not a place to have fun or enjoy your youth. If you want a traditional university experience, you’re better off enrolling in Jaakii University of Humanities and Sciences or other higher education establishments. You won’t find one here. From today on, you’ll obey Ezkai law and live by it. If you disobey even one of the Ezkai laws or Ezkai Academy rules, you’ll be expelled. No exceptions. Nobody cares what family you were born in or whichpart of Ekios you come from. From the moment you stepped into this room to the moment your Ezkai training is completed, you are all equals.”
I shift in my seat, glancing around at other Decarios. Nobody seems threatened by or nervous about what the Ezkai tells us.
“You’ll receive the manuals with every Ezkai law later today. You must study and learn them by heart. You’ll live by those laws if you ever manage to become an Ezkai,” the man says. Without looking at the board, he points at the first line of text at the very top. “The academy rules are few, and they are very simple. First rule, you are to obey and follow your instructor’s guidance, no questions asked. Second rule, you are to remain within the castle grounds throughout the length of your training, unless your instructors state otherwise. Third and last rule, you are not to engage in any romantic or sexual relationships with your fellow trainees or instructors during your training.”
That’s not too bad. The rules are a little stricter and odder than I expected, considering how much judgment my Wetran training received from the Ezkai when I was signing up for this.
But the sacrifice is worth it.
“Breaking any of these rules will be grounds for expulsion, executed immediately,” the instructor says. “You only get one chance at this. So don’t fucking blow it.”
