@mages academy

The worse part of being a guest is undoubtedly the prospect of boredom. This I lamented after a whole day of hanging around the [CURRENTLY BLANK...a mage school name to be inserted]. Yes, the meals were fine enough as were the lodgings. But even after a few hours their novelty starts to wear off.

Rising at dawn (the incessant bell tower left none asleep) and going through the daily chores took most of the morning. Thus, my afternoons seemed to be faced with the permanent stamp of boredom.

Having been moved to the female guest rooms, I didn't even have Lance's company. The room itself was grand. The ceiling seemed two storeys away and was propped up by ornately-carved pillars which were plated in bronze and silver. Tiny jewels embedded in the pillars and walls gave out soothingly-coloured light in the dark and the huge king-sized poster bed was far too soft and comfortable to be lying in all day.

On the mantel of the fireplace (which I didn't know how to use but always seemed to have a cosy fire anyway) were several absurd clocks (which never told the exact time) and water sculptures (seemingly defying gravity.) On the wall above was a beautifully detailed painting of a river side. The painting showed a farm in the distance and a watermill in the foreground. In the sky flew half a dozen ducks in a V-shaped formation.

The watermill stood beside a clear river and on the river bank were little creatures like otters, swans and rabbits doing those normal creaturely things. But the most striking feature of the picture was a tiny, almost overlooked person. Half submerged in the deeper currents. The...Nymph? Mermaid? Whatever it was had honey-coloured skin and dark-bluish hair that spread out like waves in the current. The creature was so small, so insignificant compared to the huge watermill that one might have taken it for a water plant if they did not look closely. THAT was how bored I was.

Thankfully, it didn't take much difficulty, and initiative, to leave the room in search of company. Just as I stepped out of the barracks that was the female guest quarters, Deke came up to me and grinned infectiously as though he knew what I was thinking. Which, him being a mage and scholar, he probably did. Still, I couldn't for the life of me understand why he would be willing to show me around, especially after the exhaustion he must feel from managing the water trial and up-coming graduation ceremony.

Ergo the tactlessness. My tactlessness.

Crossing my arms and giving my best mock-dignified expression I asked, "Did you lose a bet?"

"Actually, I lost 2 bets AND got a dare to take you to the ceremony," He smirked in his nice way...a different smirk from Lance. More sincere and less sarcastic. But still a smirk. I hate it when guys do that.

Oh well, at least he didn't try to act surprised at my bluntness.

"But," he continued as he lead me into the main building, "I'm kind of afraid Lance would rip my head off."

Hmm..."For that you'll need a head to begin with."

"True."

"And, I'll probably need a dress."

"Also true."

"I don't wear dresses."

"That might pose a problem."

"You'll lose your bet."

"Only to myself."

THAT warranted a pause in my stride. Deke is a nice guy. A really nice guy. Plus, he's a mage and I feel comfortable with him. However, considering that I'm not exactly sure how long I would be staying, the prospect of any kind of relationship that would end before it began was not really a happy one.

Deke must have anticipated my response, "It's no pressure. Just a little ceremony-that you are not going to have to be a part of-a little food...dancing...which you don't have to do if you don't want to."

"Plus, I'm a guest and will have to go anyway. Yes. Okay. Sure."

"But I'll need a dress."

His relieved smile was worth it. At least, that's what I tried to tell myself two days later while being fitted for a dress by the academy's seamstress. In the end, there were a couple of things I refused to wear.

1. A corset. 2. Pink. 3. Green. 4. Lace. 5. Funny hats or shoes.

The end result was a dress with a simple cut. It was light grey with several dark blue designs down the front and around the waist and hemline. The back was cut low although the front was less revealing. Even tough I didn't need to wear a corset, there was this under-thingy thingy. Overall, it wasn't as horrible as I thought it would be. Plus, the dress was long enough that it would definitely cover my feet, so I could even wear boots if I wanted to. The simple designs eliminated the possibility of any extravagant, ridiculous accessories like those funny-looking hats.