. Mireia dropped the sandwich back into the trash. I had the sense she was suppressing an outburst. “I think I shall stay here,” she told the head guard in a frigid voice. “The First Prince ordered me to observe My Lady receive her food.” “We’ll remain here with you, Miss,” Cord stated. Ferna looked uncertain what she should do, …

. Drawing in a shaking breath, I stated, “Miss Mireia, I’m terribly cold, and I must return to that awful bath before I get even sicker. Please tell either His Highness or my attendants that the guards are not giving my maid and I any help with my unhealthy condition. Also, they are not feeding us. We have not eaten …

. She must have come on her lunch hour. The clock tower bell had tolled Noon shortly before she arrived. I knew how I looked to Mireia: a pitiful girl sitting in a tub, drenched from head to toe, clutching the bodice of my tea gown to my chest as a wolfkin maid continuously scooped water and poured it on …

. We were at an impasse with the guards. It was rapidly becoming apparent that my previous bath had been insufficient, as my skin was again in distress, and they were willing to let me use the tub… but no, they wouldn’t be leaving. They were under orders to watch me. Genette and I were in total disbelief. How could …

. After considering her answer for a moment, the IT lady stated, “We believe that there are forces outside our expectations interfering with this world. Our evidence of this is works of magics not native to this time period on Huade and not worked by the very few who might work them.” “And that involves me how?” “These magics are …

. When I went to bed, the guards dimmed the lighting for sleep (but not a lot, because they needed to see us at all times, per orders), but I woke to full illumination. Since the cell only held one bed, Genette was quietly snoozing right beside me, with her wolf ears twitching a bit. Dreaming, I presume. Fortunately, the …

. “I behaved shamefully and I am truly and deeply sorry for my actions,” the Second Prince of Orestania declared while bowing deeply toward me on his knee from the other side of the prison bars. It was the male counterpart to the deep curtsey. I’m glad that the women watching this along with me were present at the time, …

. I sat watching Genette on her knees, leaning over a large wooden tub with her hands in the water within. Genette is not a trained mage, but she has strong Fire affinity and can warm water as long as she is patient. Basically, she does a raw release of Fire mana to boil the water near her hands. It …

. After a heated discussion, Ged insisted Lady Niaela leave the room, ostensibly so he could discuss the matter with me in private. As soon as the door shut though, I pointed out, “Big Brother, as headmaster of the school, she is the feudal lord of this town. And as long as we are her students, it doesn’t matter that …

. The mood in class the next day was distinctly subdued. The news was now out about the vampire attacks, with the rumors putting the number of attacks anywhere from a half dozen up into the twenties. To my knowledge, there had in fact been a half-dozen attacks when I went home the previous evening. I didn’t know if any …