"She's a Chaos-cursed Order spy." Dera corrected, making Tanna wince.

"I am not the one who is Chaos-cursed." Tanna said. "Justice, after all, is administered by the Order Temples."

The Princess snorted. "Well, Advisor Candidate, I am impressed. I've never seen an Order Spy before."

Tanna debated for a moment how much she should reveal to the Princess. I should probably be discreet with the Haulers a little longer, but the Princess is arguably a representative of the Empire, so I could probably tell her most everything. "That is because they don't exist. And once again, I am not a spy." Tanna looked at Lyssa and Dera, debating how best to get them excused. "I would be happy to inform you of my actual mission. In, uh, private, Princess."

"So you are not a spy, but you can't tell anyone about your secret information collecting mission." Dera said dryly.

"Something like that." Tanna said.

"Scribe-girl, you go." The Princess said to Lyssa after a short pause. "Dera stays."

I suppose that will have to do. Tanna gave a bow and began her explanation once Lyssa had gone. "I am only ordained in the Order as a Seeker of Information, for Justice. My mission is to collect data on three individuals in an effort to determine participation in a crime against the Order and the Empire roughly two years ago."

"In a clandestine, very spy-like fashion." Dera added.

"Yes. The crime is a murder. And until the three individuals have been assessed, discretion should be exercised." Tanna said.

"And who are these three individuals?" The Princess asked.

Tanna hesitated. "Three former students of an High Priestess of Order."

"And hunting these three prevents you from being my Advisor?" The Princess asked.

Tanna did her best to swallow her sigh, organizing her arguments in her head. "Potentially competing loyalties should be avoided when possible, Princess."

"Torshin!" The Princess cried, recognizing the quote.

Tanna nodded an acknowledgement. "But even if I was not already committed to Justice, other factors would disqualify me from Advisorship, or even candidacy for Advisorship." Tanna added. "The largest factor for concern is my citizenship, since I am not a citizen of the Empire."

"And they make exceptions for foreign Officers all the time." The Princess quickly replied.

"Minor Officials, perhaps, but the Laws clearly forbid foreigners from Major Official stations, including Advisory positions. As it should be, Princess." Tanna patiently explained.

"Still, if I will it, it shall happen. I am a Princess after all." Redette said with finality.

"And then there is the matter of my standing with the Academy, Princess." Tanna continued. "I may be Academy trained, but the Academy cut me after my first year. Also a major disqualification, since most Official positions require a minimum of two years of Academy training." Tanna said. The Princess was unperturbed so Tanna continued. "I was kicked out of my only professional temple Scribing job after ten days, so it is highly unlikely any temple would sponsor me. Another clear disqualification."

"Except Priestess Akila just said she would get Lukida's temple to support you." Dera interjected.

"She may try, however my dealings with her temple consist of me quitting, being kidnapped, inciting a political fissure, impersonating a Skyra, and running away. Not to mention various other disciplinary infractions accrued while being detained. So again, disqualification."

"Did you say a 'political fissure'?" Dera asked.

"I did, and that resulted in my second kidnapping, by a different faction inside Lukida's Temple. Pure Chaos." Tanna spat. "Also, pursuant to my cut from the Academy I have been activated for Imperial Service." She stretched her tattooed leg for emphasis, turning the numbers towards the Princess and Dara.

"I thought you were already serving a Justice." Dera said.

"Until the trial occurs, the Empire cannot credit my service to the Justice, so it was still necessary for me to put in Service." Tanna said. "Had I gathered the necessary information in time, I might have avoided activation, but due to my incomplete duties it will be some time before I receive any credit for my actions supporting the Justice."

Tanna could see the seeds of doubt beginning to take root in the Princess and Dera. "I think I technically had a few more months if I wanted them," Tanna continued, "but now that I am activated I think I would need to finish this Hauling contract before I can take another. Disqualification. Oh, and in case you think that my current Service would recommend me, think again, since my performance so far has been poor by any standard. I was assigned a team of Haulers, and ran them hard enough on the first Haul to kill one."

"The girl from earlier, killed by the assassin, you mean?" Dera said.

Tanna gave another bow of agreement. "Poisoned by the assassin, but run to death by me. And if that is not bad enough, the cargo of my second Haul had to be delivered by another Haulteam due to the inability of my team to complete the run." The Princess shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "And I should have been leading my third Haul now, but instead I have been demoted to a common Hauler, probably due to my poor performance thus far, and placed under Clogg's command. Another major disqualification."

"Well." The Princess said after a long pause. "This is a lot to take in. And I feel as if I am only getting parts of this story." Dera nodded in agreement. "Perhaps...if you tell it again," the Princess suggested, "from the beginning."

From the beginning? "Ah well, it is a long story, Princess." Tanna said reluctantly.

"Well, there is no telling how long Priestess Akila will take finding her girl, is there." The Princess said.

"Right." Tanna said. "The beginning. Um, well, the best place to start might be when I was cut from the Acadamy?" The Princess waved at her to proceed. "Okay, well...they posted the cutlist a few days before the actual cuts were made, and of course, everyone wanted to know who would make the cut, and who wouldn't..."

-----

"Must have posted the cutlist." Tanna muttered under her breath. Her gut twisted with unease as she watched the throng of students chat excitedly under the central signpost in the Academy's court. Tanna had never wanted to be in the Academy, but she had not really had a choice once the Academy had decided they wanted her to attend. But attending was not the same as belonging, and since most attending held some noble standing in the Empire, Tanna, who was not even from the Empire, had always felt like she did not belong.

"You don't want to look?" Ashera Mittar asked, walking beside her. Ashera was a Counter, the most competitive specialty at the Academy. All the other Counters had connections to higher houses, which left Ash as much an outcast, and as much at risk of being cut, as Tanna.

"Why? I will make it or I won't. And with my latest marks in Etiquette, I probably didn't make it." Tanna said. As much as she had not wanted to attend the Academy, and as much as she felt like she did not belong, it was still an honor. An honor that gives access to the Imperial Collections. It would hurt to be rejected, and it would hurt to lose access to one of the world's largest collections of knowledge. "Either way, it won't hold good news for me."

"Come on." Ash said, and dragged Tanna through the small crowd to the posted list. "There! you made it!" Ash cried when she spotted Tanna's name very near the bottom of the list.

Second from last, but still above the cut. Great. Part of Tanna was relieved that she had made it, but another part had also hoped she had been cut, hoped she would be free from dealing with the politics of the prestigious Academy. "But where are you, Ash?" Tanna asked, just before spotting her name, two spots after the cut.

----

"I am not sure you are telling your story correctly, Books." The Princess said. "Did you not say earlier that you were the one who was cut?"

"That is correct, Princess. Forgive me if I forgot to mention that this was the preliminary list, and changes were made before the actual cuts were made." Tanna explained patiently. "If I may continue?"

"Very well." The Princess huffed.

----

"Ash-! Ash?" Tanna looked around but Ash had disappeared. "Chaos curse your stupid cutlist!" Tanna muttered before pushing her way back out of the throng to find Ash. She spotted her form disappearing back into the dormitories, and decided to head after her.

By the time Tanna arrived at the same entrance, though, her mind had changed. If I were Ash I would probably want to be alone right now too. Ash is the one that belongs here, not me. Why would they pick me over her, anyway? Tanna unconsciously changed direction and soon found herself back in her room. They wouldn't just let Ash and I swap, would they? No, too Chaotic, even for this place. Her mind began plotting ways to keep Ash in the Academy as she collected her plan for if she had been cut from her desk. It was a pile of four letters, already neatly folded, that expressed interest in jobs from different temples she had visited while researching for the Academy. It was too late to apply to most of the permanent positions, but some temples still had seasonal work available. All the temples were near the edge of the Empire, which Tanna thought might worry the Headmistress, so she quickly wrote out a fifth letter.

The fifth letter was for an Order temple dedicated to Makron Peth, notorious for its stringent adherence to Order. Tanna had not been to it before, but it was the only nearby temple operating under the Principles of Order that she knew the information for without needing to do more research. She added the latest letter to her small pile and took them down to Headmistress Nulor's office.

"Headmistress Nulor." Tanna said when she was finally allowed to meet with the Headmistress.

"Tanella. I did not expect to see you today. You made the cut, after all." Headmistress Morna Nulor said. Her office was cramped, but tidy, a reflection of the Headmistress that sat across the sturdy desk from Tanna.

Tanna cleared her throat. "Yes. About that...why me?"

"Why, well, I am sure your academic conduct was probably enough to give you an opportunity for another year." Nulor said smoothly.

What a swirl of Chaos! It was common knowledge that academic conduct is the least reliable metric for determining who is cut. "As you say, Headmistress. But then why not Ashera? She exceeds me in almost every metric." Tanna countered.

"I cannot say what methods the Selection Committee used, precisely, but I am sure their choices are well justified. If that is all, I am quite busy at the moment." Nulor moved her attention back to the papers in front of her.

Sorry, Headmistress, I'm not giving up that easily. Pursue the Right Course. That is what you taught us. Tanna decided to try a more direct approach. "Can Ash and I switch places?" Tanna asked.

Nulor sighed and looked back up at Tanna. "The decision has already been made, Tanella. It would invite Chaos to disturb the Order."

And this list is not already a disruption of Order!? "And what if I was not going to continue at the Academy next year?" Tanna asked.

Nulor rubbed her temple with the hand not clutching her pen. "Well, what will you do instead?"

"I don't know yet." Tanna said honestly. "I'll take a post I guess. Any post, it doesn't matter." Tanna put her pile of applications on the desk.

"And if you don't get a post? The time for applying for the permanent posts is well over. Most posts have already completed their selections for this season."

"I don't know." Tanna said quietly. "Then I will start my Service." If Tanna did not get a posting and did not continue at a school then the Empire would require her to register for Service. In Tanna's case, she would still have to serve nine years.

Nulor pursed her lips. "With your Etiquette scores, Tanna, its not likely you will get an easy Service posting."

Tanna did her best not to visibly gulp. There were some Services posts that were easy, barely less prestigious than a post as an Imperial Officer, but most postings were considered hard labor. Tanna had no doubt she would not make it to nine years at the worst posts. "That's okay. As long as you keep Ashera. Its the Right Course, Headmistress, the right thing to do. Ashera belongs here more than I do."

"I might remind you that you made the cut and not her." Nulor said.

"And I only made the cut due to my specialty!" Tanna had been instructed in History prior to her arrival at the Academy, with the intent of becoming a Storysinger, but the Academy had wanted her to switched to legal doctrine, Lawgiver. Tanna had assumed that there would be a lot of interest in law in the Empire, but she had been wrong, especially the last few years when the populace had begun to favor a more Chaotic view of legal proceedings. Tanna had been only one of four Lawgivers when she arrived, and the Academy had made it clear that Tanna was not allowed to change her specialty.

"Your specialty is not the only metric used to determine eligibility." Nulor said.

"And Ash beats me in every other metric!" Tanna frustratedly exclaimed. "She's just not a Lawgiv-"

"Tanna! You will maintain your Order. Now." Nulor scolded.

Tanna growled before giving her a stiff bow in apology. I'm not the one spouting Chaos! Pure Chaos! How can they even pretend that list was based on Order? The Headmistress stared Tanna down until Tanna was calmer. Then she shifted her gaze down to the stack of applications that Tanna had put down earlier. She glanced quickly at each, but stopped when she got to the last one, dedicated to Makron Peth. Her demeanor seemed to shift, if only slightly. "Tell me, why this temple?" Nulor asked, tapping the paper.

"Uh," Tanna's mouth went dry as she searched for a half truth to tell. "It was the first one I recalled the information for that followed the Principles of Order." Tanna finally said.

"Hmph." Nulor said. "You are aware that they have a strict adherence to Order there?"

"Yes, Headmistress. An environment where I believe I could excel." Tanna said, sharper than she intended.

Nulor raised an eyebrow and snorted. "Perhaps." She finally said. Tanna's hope rose as Nulor moved the letters to a folder and filed them deep in the ordered stacks on her desk. "Wait for now." Nulor said in a more normal tone. "Let us not do anything...Chaotic." She said and sighed. "I may be able to find an open posting. I can't make any promises, but if I do find something, it will not be an easy post."

"That's fine." Tanna said gratefully, doing her best to maintain an orderly facade.

"May Order guide us." Nulor said gravely.

"May Order guide us." Tanna replied.

WC: 2507