Occurrens {an assembly of people}

"We will be leaving after breakfast today. Everyone must have anything they need for the tournament. Once we leave, we will not be back until the Heres Gladii finishes. For those of you who did not qualify for the tournament, unfortunately you will be staying at the academy with the teachers that will be remaining. Your classes will resume as normal." Lady Zelie finished her announcement.

The rest of the girls remained silent. It had been breakfast when Lady Zelie had taken it upon herself to explain how the rest of the day was going to be going. Arya had a vague idea but Lady Zelie's explanation had made it explicitly clear.

The girls that were not going to the Heres Gladii looked disappointed but Arya could understand where the headmistress was coming from. There would be a total of about thirty-five students going, not including the teachers. For each tournament; archery, Kalvarian History, Equestrianism, Herbs and Healing a maximum of five students were allowed. For the dueling portion, fifteen students were allowed since it was going to be a tournament style. If everyone in the academy were to go, it would cause a lot of ruckus in front of important delegates as well.

"All those who are going to be going to the Heres Gladii please go up to your dorms and pack everything you need. We will be meeting in the main hall after an hour. Please make sure to pack your uniform as well as a dress and formal clothes." Lady Zelie said.

There was a cluttering of plates and glasses as many of the girls got up to do what Lady Zelie said. In fact, it was more than the predicated number which made Arya believe that many of them had dragged their friends as well out of the room as well.

Arya finished eating her breakfast and ignored the conversation that Yasmin and Silvia seemed to be having. It had become a daily occurrence. Yasmin and Silvia sat with her at meal times and there wasn't anything that Arya could really do. She didn't mind the company and even if she didn't want to talk, Silvia would manage to coax Yasmin into a conversation. They would talk about their respective lands and while Arya learned a lot about the terrain and cultures, she still didn't actually know the name of the lands they came from.

Arya stood up to brush her uniform when Silvia and Yasmin's conversation came to an abrupt halt.

"Where are you going?" Silvia questioned.

"I have to pack." Arya replied.

"We'll go with you."

"No thank you," Arya replied politely and left before they could follow her. Well the gazes still followed her. Arya supposed they increased ever since she had become the champion for the Narvian Academy.

She ignored the gaze and the few girls littering in the hallways before making her way to her room. She grabbed her leather bag and began putting in outfits that she might need. She knew not to pack anything fancy (it's not like she had anything fancy) since Lady Zelie had shown her the wardrobe that awaited her at the castle. Arya made sure to pack her books on Kalvrian History as well as any quills or parchments that might come in handy. Anaz was placed into its scabbard and Arya kept it attached to her waist.

Knowing that she still had about half an hour before everyone was meeting, Arya decided to go visit Eclipse. She exited through the academy's front gate nodding her head when she saw Bianca stationed there. The way to the stables were quick and the smell of livestock and hay filled her nostrils pretty quickly. She could see Eclipse in his stall. He snorted when he saw Arya approaching.

Arya held her fingers to his muzzle and he gently nibbled on her fingers. Arya smiled before handing him the apple from her pocket. It was clear that Eclipse knew that she had been hiding the apple in her pocket.

"How are you feeling boy?" she asked as he gobbled up the apple.

She inspected his injury. He seemed to have healed well. Arya had avoided riding him the whole week and while she knew it had made Eclipse angry at her, she had done it for his own good.

"You'll be able to ride again." She whispered into the horse's ear.

He neighed as if the idea of riding pleased him. Arya looked at the time; she supposed that everyone was meeting in the main hall by now. She said goodbye to Eclipse promising him that she would see in a little while.

When Arya arrived at the main hall, most of the girls were already there wearing their traveling clocks. Bags and been packed and they were laid out near the door. There girls were chatting while the teachers seemed to be huddled in a corner.

Only Madame Kenna, Madame Juliet, Madame Annie, Madame Mina would be accompanying them. Madame Guinevere would be arriving once the tournament started since she needed to stay back at the academy if there were any injuries to occur. Lady Zelie surprisingly was travelling with them and Arya had a suspicion it had something to do with the letter her father sent her.

It would look awfully rude if rulers from other countries arrived and the Kalvarian Loyalty was not there to greet them. Arya spotted Yasmin and Silva huddled in a corner. She could also see Jennica leaning next to a group of friends.

"Madame Kenna, would you please take the attendance?" Lady Zelie said as she turned to her former teacher.

Madame Kenna took the parchment from Madame Mina's fingers before she started reading of the names. Once she got through the whole list she rolled the paper once again and put it in her bag.

"There is nobody else missing?" Lady Zelie asked her voice ringing in the room.

The girls turned to one another before shaking their heads.

"Very well, we shall be on our way now." Lady Zelie said as she nodded at the women who stood at the gates. They opened the wooden doors to allow the girls to go through.

When the doors opened Arya was surprised to see a great number of horses standing there.

"I asked the guards to bring the horses in order to save time." Lady Zelie said.

"Girls, get on your horses." Madame Juliet told everyone and that is what they did.

Eclipse was waiting for her by a tree and Arya adjusted her bag before mounting the stallion. All the girls did the same thing. Arya was surprised to see a great number of guards from both the academy and from the Armed Kalvarian forces mounted before them. It seemed as though they would be assuring the safety of the girls. After all, the teachers were unable to keep an eye on every single pupil.

"Let us go." Lady Zelie said before taking the lead. Half of the guards rode next to her while the rest moved to the back of the group. Arya dug her heels into Eclipses side and soon they were off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It had been almost two days since they had left the academy. It was harder travelling in groups Arya noticed. There was always a fear of losing someone and it was not possible to stop and build a camp in the woods. There were just too many people to do something like that. Plus then they would have to search for food and there were over forty mouths to feed.

To resolve this issue, Lady Zelie had formulated a very clever plan. They had only stopped at Caydeh and Lady Zelie had already booked an inn for them in advance. Caydeh had been their only stop and that is where they had gotten their nourishment and sleep. The guards had stayed up rotating their positions to make sure that nobody would attack them.

It was extremely hard to keep Lady Zelie hidden and the group had almost given hope. They had all been wearing Narvian Academy uniforms and the only person who seemed to keeping the girls in check was Lady Zelie so she was almost always quickly spotted.

On the other hand, the innkeepers had been more inviting to a group of loud girls with Lady Zelie's presence. Lady Zelie still rode at the front of the group and Arya was only just behind her and the other teachers. Silvia and Yasmin had been riding beside her but Arya wasn't sure where they had gone.

"My father is going to have a heart attack." Lady Zelie muttered.

Madame Kenna snorted in reply. "These are just the girls, wait till the boys come as well. That is when we can begin to say something."

Lady Zelie sighed. "I'm not worried about that. I am worried about the other royals and delegates coming. If anyone misbehaves then it looks bad on the crown."

"We'll just have to keep them in check." Madame Mina said. "Besides, there is a reason why these girls were chosen for the Heres Gladii. I'm sure they won't want to waste the opportunity."

Lady Zelie nodded. "We'll be arriving in Kathoria soon; shall we gather the girls now?"

Madame Annie nodded. "I'll go." She said.

She moved towards the back of the group where the girls were talking and urged them to be quite.

It wasn't much of a surprise to Arya when Lady Zelie yelled, "Halt. Gather around, I want everyone to hear this."

The girls maneuvered their horses so they could listen to what Lady Zelie had to say. Glancing beside her, she was surprised to see Silvia and Yasmin on their horses waiting for Lady Zelie to begin speaking.

"We will be approaching Kathoria in about half an hour. From there the castle is very near. Need I remind you delegates and royals will be arriving so you must be on your best behaviour. Failure to do so will result in your termination from the Heres Gladii and you will be returned to the Narvian Academy. We cannot be made into fools. Remember, you are not only representing yourself, but the teachers, academy and even the kingdom of Kathoria. This is not something that you can take lightly."

Lady Zelie brushed the golden locks from her face. "The representatives from the Narvanian academy will also be arriving about the same time as us. I want you to control yourself and set an example of what our academy is like. The champion," she pointed to Arya, "will also be keeping a close eye on you. Anything out of order and she will report it to me. Does everyone understand?"

There was a chorus of yes and Lady Zelie nodded satisfied. "Very well, it's time for us to represent our academy!"

They rode on for a bit before Yasmin surprisingly asked a question. "How does Kathoria look like?"

"Oh it's absolutely stunning! I got to see it when I travelled with Arya and Bianca but I couldn't believe my eyes."

Arya nodded and gazed out at the dipping sun. The rays were slowly waning away as the sun was disappearing from the horizon. "It is nicknamed the city of light. You'll be lucky to see it in the dark. It's always bustling with noise and there is never a dull moment."

Yasmin gave her a confused look.

"It will all make sense once you see Kathoria yourself."

The dark-haired girl nodded taking Arya's word for it.

"Arya, you are participating in Equestrianism, Kalvarian History and the duel, correct?" Silvia asked.

Arya dipped her head in confirmation. Her mind was still bustling from all the information she had memorized pertaining to the History of Kalvaria. A part of her didn't mind it because she loved stories and there was nothing more dearly to her then her country.

"Yasmin what are you going for?" Silvia questioned her.

"Dueling, and herbs and healing," Yasmin replied.

"Oh, it seems that we are all doing dueling!" Silvia said excitedly. "So far it seems as though I am the only one doing archery."

"Well you are good at it." Arya said before biting her lips. She should have kept quiet.

Silvia's brown eyes lit up. "Thank you so much. It means a lot to me. My uncle would spend hours teaching me how to use a bow and arrow back when we would go hunting." There was a nostalgic look in her eyes but the words at the end seemed bitter.

It seemed that everyone had their secrets.

All of a sudden Arya's hearing was filled with various sounds and she could smell multiple scents. Pies and other delicious aromas were mingled with various potions and oils. The scent of jasmine filled her nostrils and Arya couldn't help but take another sniff. She had long finished her jasmine oil but had never gotten the chance to purchase it again. She would make sure to do it this time.

"We're almost here," Arya said softly.

They just had to cross the hill and then they would be in the city of light. Yasmin's ears perked up and it seemed many of the girls were more energized then they had been the entire trip. Arya was sure they were just glad to be able to eat a delicious meal and catch some decent sleep. Arya loved travelling as she got to spend time with Eclipse but this journey had been way too long.

There horses made their way to the top of the hill and Arya could hear the gasps all around her. Of course this was the first time many of the girls had seen the capital of Kalvaria, Kathoria.

Beautiful lights and lanterns were strung together and hung above the houses of the village. Vendors lined the corners of the streets and there were women, children, and males of all ages performing their businesses.

The city itself automatically gave Arya joy and warmth. It felt like a homecoming, like this city was ready to take in anybody and everybody.

Lady Zelie let their eyes drawn in the city for a while longer before she spoke softly, "we must make our way to the place now."

The girls blinked away the spell that they had been under. They nodded at Lady Zelie and followed her instruction as to how they would be arriving to the castle. The members of the royal Kalvarian Army had gone ahead to clear the way for the rest of the girls. This would make sure that nobody was hurt and they could safely travel through the city

As everyone followed Lady Zelie the villagers and the people on the streets became extremely quiet. Arya supposed that would be her reaction as well if she saw about fifty-strangers coming through their village wearing clocks.

Lady Zelie pulled the clock from her head her golden locks flowing freely. The villagers gasped before many of them began bowing down and curtsying.

"Welcome back you highness." An elder lady said. Her wrinkles were prominent and her hair was hidden under a bonnet.

"Thank you," Lady Zelie replied softly. She took her time meeting with the villagers and helping many whom had stopped what they were doing. She purchased things from some of the merchants while she promised the others that she would return after her visit from the castle.

A little girl tugged on Lady Zelie's dress. Lady Zelie immediately turned her attention towards the girl. Her curls were tumbling all over the place even though it was clear that her guardian had tried pinning them back. Lady Zelie kneeled so that she was at eye-level with the girl.

"What may I help you with?" Her velvet voice was smooth and caring.

The girl pointed towards the horses and the rest of the girls from the academy. "Who are those people?"

Lady Zelie followed her chubby fingers before laughing slightly. "Those are my students. They have come for the Heres Gladii tournament taking place after a couple of days."

The girl's eyes widened. "Do you think that I could be your student one day?"

Lady Zelie pretended to ponder over it before giving her reply. "When you are older, I would be delighted to have you as my student."

The girl beamed and another hand clasped her fingers. "Darling, the princess has business to attend. Why don't we leave her alone and we can see her later from the castle?" The same white haired lady asked from before.

The girl nodded and Lady Zelie rose. "Thank you for your warm welcome. I would be overjoyed to stay but it seems that my father does not like to be kept waiting."

The villagers nodded and took a step back effectively clearing the way for the girls and Lady Zelie. Lady Zelie mounted her stallion and they were all off heading to the equally beautiful lit castle.

When they arrived, there were already a number of guards standing there. They greeted Lady Zelie and promised that they would take all the horses to the royal stables. Lady Zelie entered the castle while the rest of the continued looking awestruck. Arya couldn't blame them. She had the same look upon her face when she had first seen the castle. As many times as Arya continued seeing the castle, the beauty never changed. In fact it seemed to grow more gorgeous every time she looked upon it.

The teachers followed Lady Zelie into the castle and there were butlers and maids that greeted them all.

"Alfred," Lady Zelie said to a man dressed in black tailcoat, "could you show these Ladies to the room? Take Mililani if you need her as well."

Lady Zelie turned to the group of girls. "They will be leading you to the rooms you will be staying in for the duration of the Heres Gladii. I will not be able to join you as I will be having dinner with my parents and the rest of the teachers as well. The day will start bright and early so don't stay up too late." Lady Zelie finished with a twinkle.

With a sweep of her robes, her and the other teachers were gone leaving the girls with Alfred and Mililani.

Alfred gestured towards the hallways where Arya had stayed last time. "Shall we go?"

Arya stepped up and replied. "Yes, please show us our rooms."

Since Lady Zelie had left as well as the other teachers, it left Arya responsible for the rest of the girls. Lady Zelie was expecting her to make sure the others stayed in check. They climbed the stairs Alfred and Mililani in the lead while Arya was just a step behind. Beside her was Silvia and Yasmin who were taken in every detail.

Yasmin's gaze lingered over one of the portraits. "So they have portraits of all the past royals?"

Arya nodded. "Yes, as well as their families."

"So where are the portraits of King Rupert, Queen Marie, and Prince Zander and Princess Zelie?" Silvia asked.

"They are located in the throne room. Once a member becomes deceased or hands the crown, their portraits are moved to the halls. Otherwise, they remain in the throne room as a testimony to the power that they hold." Arya replied.

Mililani nodded at Arya approvingly. Her gown was simple and her brown hair had a few silver streaks but she held herself as if she was much younger. The wrinkles on her heart-shaped face were not prominent as the white powder did well to hide them. "You have very accurate information about the castle young lady." She said in a dignified voice.

Gathering clues from her appearance Arya suspected she was either a tutor or a governess. She did look old enough to have been in her late sixties yet she was still up and about. "Thank you," Arya replied humbly.

"Are you perhaps participating in the Kalvrian history test?" she asked.

"Yes I am." Arya responded.

Her eyes twinkled. "I'll be watching out for you young lady. You have caught my eye."

Arya didn't know how to respond to that and thankfully she didn't have to. They had arrived at the wing in which the Heres Gladii competitors would be staying at. Rooms lined the wing both on the left and the right. Assuming from the noises that were emitting from the left, the boys of the Narvanian Academy had already arrived.

"You ladies shall be staying with another person. The names have been writing on this parchment," Mililani held up a piece of paper. "Look as to where you will be lodging and make yourself comfortable. You will be having dinner in the private wing with Alfred and I. Please make sure that you look presentable enough." She finished.

The girls nodded and turned their gazes towards the parchment. Arya needed to look at it. She knew her room was the first one on the right since that is where she had stayed last time. She supposed that nothing would have changed in the beautiful room. She couldn't wait to soak herself in a bathe to soothe her muscles. She skittered around the mass amount of girls before opening the door to her room.

Just like she suspected, nothing had changed. Arya sat down on the poster bed; it was till as comfortable as it had been a couple of weeks ago. She put down her sword and books as well as everything else in her bag. The books were stacked on the bookshelf while the quills were placed on the desk. Anaz was left lying on her bed as Arya decided she would find space for it after she took a bath.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Arya's muscles were less tense after her bath. She felt cleaner and fresh even though she had barely slept a wink the last few days. She moved towards the closet and picked up a tunic and trousers that Lady Zelie had bought her. The tunic was long and it almost reached her feet. It was embodied with black lace and half of the sleeves were black. On the waist was a simple black and white belt that fit snugly against Arya's hip. She paired it was black trousers and put hair midnight blue hair in a loose bread that fell over her right shoulders.

Arya glanced at the mirror to see how she looked. Her clothes looked presentable enough and the emerald green fabric clashed with her Aztec eyes. She could hear chattering in the hallway so she assumed that many of the girls were going for dinner. She opened the door to see Yasmin and Silvia on the outside while the latter was poised to knock.

"You look lovely," Silvia commented.

Arya muttered a reply while her eyes turned to look at the two of them to see what they were wearing. Yasmin wore a casual purple full length gown while Silvia had opted for a lighter sleeveless ivory one. Many of the other girls were dressed more heavily for the occasion and they seemed to be happily chatting to one another.

Some of the boys had also come out of their rooms and they were dressed in fine tunics. The girls seemed nervous for the most part but Arya could already see Jennica was chatting with a dark-haired boy. Arya subconsciously scanned the place for any sight of Aaron.

"It's weird, isn't it?" Silvia said.

Arya turned her gaze towards her unaware of what she had said. "Pardon me?"

"Having boys in the same wing, just left of our rooms?"

"Yeah it is." Arya replied. Her next words were cut off by Mililani's arrival. Alfred was also with her as was Aaron.

It seemed like nothing had changed since the last time she had seen him. His eyes were still pale blue almost a white while his ash blond hair was styled back. He was dressed in a fine tunic and his sword rested at his hip. Arya could feel the missing presence of her own sword which she had left behind but was now regretting it.

"Ladies, form a line on the right, Gentlemen on the left make sure to have champions at the front." Mililani commanded.

Everyone did as she said and Arya was thrust to the front of the line. She stood up straight trying to appear taller than 5'9. She felt short compared to Aaron's 6 something frame. Plus since she didn't have her sword, Arya knew she didn't look much like a threat. She still had a dagger hidden beneath the clothes because wherever Arya went, she always carried a weapon with her. It made her feel secure and strong enough to defend herself.

They were led through the massive archways until they reached a room in which a long table had been placed with elegant chairs and the finest foods.

"Please, take a seat." Alfred commanded politely.

Everyone did as he commanded. The girls seated themselves on the right while the boys were right across from them. When Arya lifted up her gaze she found herself looking into Aaron's clear blue ones.

"You many begin eating." Mililani said.

She and Alfred had been seated on the corners of the table. Mililani was to her immediate right while Yasmin flanked her left. They begin eating while Mililani occasionally asked Arya questions about Heres Gladii and the Narvian Academy. More than once Arya felt a gaze on her but whenever she would look up, there was nobody there. It was a bizarre feeling one that stretched through the entire dinner.

There was laughter, jokes between the girls as well as the boys. Many times Arya felt like shouting at the girls to remember that the boys were actually their enemies. She was sure that they would do anything to get the upper hand but two could play at the game. The rest of the dinner Arya spent eating quietly but making sure to keep her ears open. She wanted to hear anything that the boys spilled, and even if it was the slightest detail, she would use it to ensure the victory of the Narvian Academy over the Narvanian Academy.

Arya was ready for a battle. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am super excited! We have finally started the second part of this book, the Heres Gladii! From now on we will be seeing more male characters especially certain specials ones;) If you want to see a particular character, comment below. Also I was wondering if you guys would have link Lady Zelie with someone, who would it be? (It dosen't have to be a character in HOTS, just trying to get a feel for her maybe lover;) If you liked this chapter, please remember to vote and comment!