All Quiet On The Western Front

Isolde's POV

I had never gotten apologies.

Not from the villagers, not from the count, not even from my father.

But today someone had uttered one to me.

All nobles at that.

I wasn't aware they knew how to.

Aren't they supposed to punish commoners even if the mistakes are their own? Aren't they supposed to be cruel and unjust?

My mind was a chaotic mess of confusion and questions.

I was taught to never cross the invisible line between nobles and commoners. The consequences of it always ends with the commoner suffering.

These nobles weren't matching in my picture of nobles. They weren't fitting my narrow world frame of how nobles and commoners should interact.

Instead of the expected cruel remarks, I was getting questions about my hobby from the beautiful blonde. Instead of the disgusted scorn, they were giving compliments to Dhara's henna designs. Instead of the awaited punishment for offending them, I was getting apologies.

This behavior was making me happy and distraught at the same time. 

Sad because it means the world view I had shaped excused noble's injustice thinking it to be norm. 

Happy because it means I was wrong in my gloomy mindset where I was at the very bottom of the food chain.

"I was saying, Isolde, would you like to come to my brother's wedding? It's during the winter vacations," the blonde beauty asks me in a hopeful tone.

Her older brother who was the commander of the seventh home brigade in the Holy Army was getting married this winter.

I was at a loss for words.

A noble wedding?

Commoners aren't supposed to get invited to a noble wedding.

Another contradiction.

"We are waiting, midget." I was brought out of my musings by Akira's comment.

Midget?

I look around to see everyone's eyes trained on me. I forgot to answer, didn't I?

I look to Esme for help. She mouths the word Yes towards me and goes back to the glaring contest against Naeem.

"I.... would love to," I say, feeling out of place.

"That's great," the blonde, Gunhild, claps her hands in excitement and goes back to showing me her model drawing of a new toy.

Everyone resumes their conversations with their respective partners or in Naeem and Esme's case, throwing insults at each other.

That's when I felt someone's gaze on me. I look to my right to see Akira's eyes on me.

Now, why was he looking at me? Was there something stuck on my teeth?

But he only shrugs in response to my questioning gaze and goes back to his conversation with Arthur.

"Then mix the juice from the Hungry Grass with the roots of Syrinx and-" the ever-boring lectures of the magical medicine master were interrupted by the sudden earthquake that sent a tremor of terror amongst the students.

"What on Selena's name was that?" Eboni's shocked question rang in the bustling classroom.

"Students, settle down. Everyone duck under the tables while I go and check out the cause of this situation," the master said while frantically trying to keep the bottles of medicine from falling down the cabinets.

With a swish of her golden robes, she ran outside and closed the door behind her.

"What was that?" Arthur asked looking at me and Dhara who was clutching my arms in fear.

"An earthquake?" Dhara suggested in a timid voice from where she was hiding behind me.

"Not an earthquake. The Academy is spelled to be protected against natural disasters. Whatever this was, it wasn't natural," Akira said from the seat in front of us in a dark tone.

The bustling classroom went silent at his comment.

Not natural? Then what caused the whole Academy to shake?

The pin-drop silence was broken by Inayat entering the classroom followed by two other masters.

"Attention, students. there seems to be an attack on the Holy temple of Azura, so we dismiss you for today. Worry not, the home brigades fought bravely and the preparator has been caught," Inayat droned out in a soldier-like voice without any indication of emotions.

He looked so different that his usual joking demeanor.

An attack on the temple?

How was someone able to trespass in Azura in the first place?

"Sir, were there any casualties amongst the home brigades?" Gunhild suddenly asked in a shaky voice.

Inayat averted his eyes downwards. "There were, of course. Brave soldiers laid down their lives for Azura's protection just like they had pledged. Unfortunately, there were no survivors amongst the home brigades," he said in a cold voice that made me flinch. 

For a moment, the warm, mischievous man I knew felt so, so heartless.

They were suddenly a gasp of realization from Kishar and she looked at Gunhild with tear-filled eyes.

Gunhild, on the other hand, was standing tall with her head .It was as if she had accomplished a great feat but the slowly forming tears in her eyes said otherwise.

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GLOSSARY

*Hector, Tamer of horses:  A trojan prince who appears in the Iliad as the greatest warrior of Troy and the leader of Trojan tropes during the Trojan war. He was killed by the Greek hero, Achilles.

*Syrinx: In classical Greek Myths , Syrinx ( Σύριγξ) was a nymph and a follower of Artemis , known for her beauty . Pursued by the amorous god Pan, she ran to a river's edge and asked for assistance from the river nymphs. In answer, she was transformed into hollow water reeds that made a haunting sound when the god's frustrated breath blew across them. Pan cut the reeds to fashion the first set of panpipes , which were thenceforth known as syrinx. The word Syringe was derived from this word.

*Hungry Grass: In Irish Mythology, hungry grass (: féar gortach; also known as fairy grass) is a patch of cursed grass. Anyone walking on it was doomed to perpetual and insatiable hunger .

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