As she walked back to her room, Reianna took a look at the door. While she had little experience with nobles, Reianna was far too experienced with the city guard. As far as she was concerned, there wasn't a good one in the lot. Gerenet-Shr didn't have to tell her twice to hide in her room.

"Fawna, I'm back!"

Her blonde roommate bounced out of her room. "Was he back yet?"

Reianna nodded. "Yeah, but I don't think we're going to get to practice today."

"Why not?"

"The city guard is here."

"City guard? Why?"

Reianna shrugged. "Gerenet-Shr told me to come back here." She looked around. "Where's Crystal?"

"He's in your room and won't come out."

"That's weird."

Fawna shrugged. "Animals do weird things."

"Did you check his paws?"

"Yeah. Nothing."

Reianna started towards her room.

"If we're not exercising, I'm going to go ahead and hop in the bath."

"Sounds good," Reianna said as she opened the door to her room.

Stepping inside, Crystal sat in front of her wardrobe. "What are you doing over there, buddy?"

Reianna walked over to the dog and ruffled the fur on his head. His tail wagged, but he didn't get up from his spot.

"Come on, let's go out to the sitting area."

He didn't budge.

"Crystal? Come on." Reianna pulled on him, and he finally got up. She led him into the sitting room and closed her door.

Instead of running around like he normally did, he sat in front of Reianna's door and whimpered.

"What's gotten into you today, huh?"

She opened the door to her room, and Crystal ran back to her wardrobe. He sat in front of it and wagged his tail. He whimpered, then looked over at Reianna.

Walking over to the wardrobe, she shook her head at him. "There's nothing in there but clothes."

While looking at Crystal, Reianna pulled the door to the wardrobe open. "See?" she asked.

Two thumps came from inside the wardrobe, and Reianna whipped her head around. Something besides clothes was in there. A girl with mutilated lilac hair, wearing a standard-issue school uniform, tried to back away from the opening, struggling to get deeper into the wardrobe. She covered her face with her arms.

Her eyes narrowed. "Banca?"

The lilac-haired girl startled and continued to cover her face. Since she couldn't go any further back into the wardrobe, she sank into herself. Her once long, lucious hair was cut short, in a haphazard manner—most of it only a few centimeters long, with spots showing her scalp, none of it long enough to grab and pull.

Reianna hadn't seen or thought of Banca in over two months.

"What are you doing here?"

"Please, don't kill me."

Reianna stood with her hands on her hips. "I'm not going to kill you. What are you doing here?"

Banca began rocking. "Please. Please. Don't. Don't kill me. Please."

Reianna frowned.

Crystal climbed into the wardrobe with her front paws and licked Banca. The lilac girl's rocking stopped, and she uncurled her arms from around her head. Still keeping her face downcast, she wrapped her arms around Crystal's neck. For his part, Crystal licked Banca's ear.

Still unsure why her tormentor would be hiding in her room, Reianna looked at the girl's aura, expecting to see the usual purple-tinged black. Instead, she saw a white aura that crackled with gold around the edges.

Squatting down, Reianna put her hand on Banca's arm. "Hey."

"Aah!" Banca cried and pulled her hands off of Crystal, then wrapped them around herself again. She curled into a ball and pressed herself against the back of the wardrobe, pushing Crystal out of the wardrobe.

"Come on, Crys," Reianna said and tugged at the scruff of his neck. She led him out of her room and closed him in the sitting room. She went back to the wardrobe and sat on the floor next to it.

"Banca?"

"Please don't kill me."

"I'm not going to kill you."

"The guard are coming!"

That was an expression Reianna had heard throughout her life, in the same scared tone. Why would the daughter of a duke be afraid of her own foot soldiers? "They're already here."

At last, Banca looked up. Her cheek was a deep purple, and one of her eyes was swollen shut; the other was red and puffy. There was an angry, red cut across her forehead. Through the wounds, terror was etched on her face.

She reached up for the doors, pawing at them and trying to pull them closed, but Reianna was in the way.

"I have to hide!"

This was another reaction Reianna was used to when it came to the city guard. Instead of getting out of the way, Reianna grabbed Banca's arm. She pulled the girl out of the wardrobe, but Banca struggled against her the entire time.

"Reianna, please! They're going to kill me!"

Unbidden, a memory from her first class with Gerenet-Shr came to Reianna's mind. A teacher can't help how their lessons are used, but I hope from the bottom of my heart that you all will take this one lesson to heart: We fight to protect lives. Be it our friends or people we can't stand.

"Just... It'll be okay."

Banca pushed back on Reianna with all of her might. "No! You hate me! You're going to take me to them!"

Reianna let the girl go, and she scrambled back into Reianna's wardrobe. Once more, Reianna sat down next to it. She reached out and took one of Banca's hands and pulled on it, trying to get the girl out, but she didn't budge. "I'm not going to take you to them. Right now, Gerenet-Shr is chasing them off. He won't let them come in here."

Banca's trembling slowed to a stop, and she squeezed Reianna's hand.

"What's going on, Banca? Why are you in my room?"

"Dead. They're all dead. Mama, Papa, Hailen, my younger brothers, even Sevastian."

Reianna squeezed Banca's hand back.

"They came for me, but I got Papa's message first. I needed to hide. I had to hide. They'll search my room. Classes A, B, C, and D will tell the guard where I am. Only here is safe. I might live here. You helped me. Ba—Master Gerenet helped me."

Reianna frowned. When had Gerenet-Shr helped Banca?

"Do you want to come out of the wardrobe?"

Banca whipped her head back and forth.

Even though Banca's eyes were closed and her face was pressed against her knees, Reianna nodded her understanding. She didn't let go of Banca's hand.

The two girls sat there in silence, for how long, Reianna couldn't tell. She didn't want to be comforting this girl, and the skin on her hand crawled, but she was at a loss as to what to do.

Just when her legs started to fall asleep, a knock came from her door.

"Rei? I'm out of the bath. Are you in there?" Fawna called through the door.

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Banca stiffened.

"Yeah, I'm a bit tired. I think I'm going to nap for a bit."

"Okay! I'm going to take Crystal down to Maecy's and hang out, then."

"Okay. Hey! Before you do, check to see if Gerenet-Shr's still in the hall talking to anyone."

"Sure!"

The room fell silent again. Banca's grip was like a vice.

"No! He's gone."

"Anyone else out there? Like the city guard?"

"Nope!"

"Okay! Well, I'll see you at dinner then."

"Sleep well!"

Reianna looked at Banca, who was resting her head on her knees with her face towards Reianna. "Do you want to come out of there now?"

Banca shook her head again. "No, but I guess I should."

Without letting go of Banca's hand, Reianna stood. Pins and needles shot through her legs, and she winced. Putting her free hand on the frame of the wardrobe, Reianna leaned her head on the back of her palm.

"What?"

"My foot's asleep."

"I'm sorry."

Reianna shook her head, then froze. "What did you say?"

"I said, I'm sorry. It's my fault your foot fell asleep." Still, Banca didn't let go of Reianna's hand.

Twice. Twice, Banca had said she was sorry. Those were words Reianna never thought she would have heard from Banca unless they were dripping with sarcasm.

"It's fine." Reianna pulled Banca up, and the lilac-haired girl stepped out of the wardrobe, still holding Reianna's hand. Banca's face looked terrible. "Are you okay? Do you need to go to the nurse?"

Banca stiffened, and her hand squeezed Reianna's. She shook her head. "Please. I know I have no right to ask you, of all people, but please, let me stay here. I don't want to die."

"Okay. Come on, let's get somewhere more comfortable." Reianna led Banca over to her bed. "Get on."

Banca complied, first sitting on it, then lying down. Reianna wrenched her hand free from the other girl, who curled her now-empty hand into a fist, then pulled her empty hand into her body as if she was holding something precious.

Going over to her study desk, Reianna pulled her chair out and sat down. She would have to ask Natya for new sheets before she went to bed.

"I can call the nurse here. Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"Nurse Tyze?"

"Yes, Nurse Tyze."

"Yes, please. It's mainly just my face, though my side hurts a bit, too."

"Okay." Reianna stood.

"Where are you going?"

"To call Nurse Tyze."

"No! I thought you were going to send someone. Please don't leave me!" Banca shot her hand out in Reianna's direction, as if she was begging to hold Reianna's hand again.

"It might scar."

"I don't care! Please. Just, please, don't leave me."

Reianna sat down. She looked at Banca's battered face. The girl had been obsessed with her looks.

Back when Reianna was Razzle, when she was forced to sit around and listen to the noble girls' conversation, most of it revolved around their looks. Banca had been extremely self-absorbed with her own.

They didn't talk. They sat in silence. Banca stared off into the distance, and Reianna stared at her former bully. Did she even know this girl anymore? Was there anything left of that haughty noble who'd relished in beating Reianna?

"Why did you come to me?"

"Because I didn't want to die."

"But why me?"

"You were the only person I could think of who might not have immediately turned me over."

"Even though you know how I feel about you?"

"It's not that different from how everyone else feels about me. At least I deserved yours."

"Wow…just, wow."

Banca pulled her legs into her. "I know they're just words, and compared to how horrible I was to you, they're meaningless, but I'm sorry, Reianna. I'm so sorry for what I did to you."

Reianna didn't say anything. She didn't feel anything.

"Every night, as I tried to sleep after my class 'put me in my place,' I couldn't help thinking of how many nights you probably spent like that."

"More than I would like to remember."

Banca flinched. "I'm sorry."

Silence fell over the room again.

"At the trial, you gave me that medicine. You probably don't know it, but you might have saved my life with that. Papa wanted me to learn from losing to you, so he said my legs had to heal naturally."

"I heard that."

"Did you hear that after we lost the trial, he tried to get me healed, but the nurses refused then? Had I still been in a wheelchair, I'm sure my classmates would have killed me by pushing me down the stairs."

Reianna didn't say anything.

"Then, you helped me again when I was in so much pain. I wanted to blame you. That it was your fault that I lost to you not once, but twice. But it wasn't you. It was me. Despite all I did, you still helped me."

Banca's good eye fell closed. "When the gaurd came for me, I was so sure I would die. I don't deserve your kindness."

Reianna didn't voice her agreement. The room fell into silence.

"Why did you help me?" Banca's voice was soft and quiet.

"I've been taught that we fight to protect lives. Be it our friends or people we can't stand. I will be honest, Banca. I still can't stand you. It disgusts me to see you on my bed, but I will protect your life."

Banca smiled, but only half her face moved. "That's more than I could ask for."

Once more, the two of them sat in silence. Outside Reianna's window, the sun went down, and darkness overtook the room. Banca's breathing deepened, and the tightness in her body loosened.

Reianna looked at Banca's aura. She'd never seen such a solid golden aura in her life. Reianna closed her eyes to it. She didn't want it. She didn't want that girl's goodwill.

Since her unwelcome visitor was asleep, Reianna stood and quietly left the room. Once in the living room, she whispered, "Natya?"

The maid turned on a lantern and dissolved out of the darkness. "Yes, Miss Reianna?"

"Umm, are the city guard still in the school?"

"Yes."

Tingles ran through Reianna's body. She wasn't getting rid of Banca that night. "I see. Could you have three dinners prepared instead of two and bring one up as soon as you can?"

"It would be my pleasure."

Reianna liked that Natya wasn't inquisitive, that she didn't ask who the third dinner was for. "Thanks. Could you leave it in here when it's ready?"

"As you wish. Anything else?"

"No—" Reianna cut herself off. The image of the city guard roaming the school popped into her mind. She didn't want to see them. They terrified her even when she'd done nothing wrong, and now she was harboring the person they were looking for in her room.

"Actually, could you ask someone to get Nurse Tyze to come to my room with his medical kit?"

Natya bowed. "As you wish."

"Thanks. That's all."

Natya left Reianna alone, and Reianna sat on her sofa with her legs crossed under her. She pulled her prized book out of her inventory and opened it. Her head was too full of thoughts bouncing off each other that she didn't have the concentration to read, but she just opened it for the comfort it provided her.

What was she going to do about Banca? Reianna's insides swirled. The girl had apologized and sounded like she truly regretted everything, but Reianna didn't have it in her to forgive her. At the same time, she couldn't cast her out.

Sanya's mother had died, and her father no longer qualified as a hunter. She'd lost her rank and left the school. Would that happen to Banca? Reianna hoped so. She hoped that in a few days, Banca would be gone from the school, never to be seen again.

But Sanya had her father, her sibling. All she'd lost was her title. She still had a family and a home. Banca had none of that. Reianna frowned at herself. The fact that Banca had nothing was no concern of Reianna's.

Campers, like Xav, they had nothing. During their reading lessons, Yesenia had told Reianna about life outside the wall, about the occasional Yani raids that would devour sections of the camp before the hunters cleared the beasts.

Kruami didn't have homelessness. People with no place to go were rounded up by the city guard and "relocated" to the camps. That's where Banca would end up. She deserved every bad thing that came her way, but Xav and Yesenia both talked about how the camps were a slow death penalty.

A knock at her door drew Reianna out of her thoughts. Through her interface, she turned on the room lights. "Come in."

Nurse Tyze stepped into her room. "Nothing's happened to you, has it, Miss Reianna?"

Reianna vanished her book and stood up. "No, I'm fine. But the person in my bedroom isn't."

"Who?"

"Are the city guard gone?"

Tyze's expression changed from curiosity to understanding. "How badly is she hurt?"

Reianna walked over to her room. "Her face is pretty bad, but she wouldn't go into detail about anything else. I think she might have more internal injuries."

Tyze shook his head. "With you, I'd thought I'd seen bad, but I don't know how that girl hasn't lost her will to live yet."

I don't want to die. Banca's voice echoed in Reianna's mind.

"She's asleep."

Tyze nodded and followed Reianna in. She turned on the light, and Tyze got to work.

Under her uniform, purple and yellow bruises marked Banca's body. Tyze was gentle, and the purple spots soon faded to that sickly yellow. Banca didn't wake up once, even when Tyze rolled her over to care for her back. It was either a testament to Tyze's skill, how worn out Banca was, or both.

Leaving the wounded girl on her stomach, Tyze packed his bags. "Most of the city guard are gone, but for her safety, she should probably stay here until her status is resolved."

Even though she didn't know what that meant, Reianna nodded. She followed Tyze out into the sitting room, and just as she closed her bedroom door, Fawna and Crystal came back.

"Oh! Nurse Tyze, what are you doing here?"

Reianna stepped in front of him. "Umm…Fawna, there's something I need to tell you, but for now, thank you for your help, Nurse Tyze."

He nodded. "Please let me know if there is anything else. On my way out, I'll inform Gerenet-Shr."

Butterflies danced in Reianna's stomach. How were people going to react? Would they want to turn Banca over to the guard? She knew that Gerenet-Shr wouldn't want to hand Banca over, but he was in a sticky situation and might not have that option.

Reianna hated Banca.

But she didn't want the girl to die.

While she was lost in thought, Fawna said her goodbyes to Nurse Tyze, and Crystal ran over to Reianna, who scratched the dog behind his ears.

"We already took him for his evening walk. He's done his business."

"Thank you, Fawna." That was one less thing Reianna had to worry about.

"When's dinner getting here? I'm starved," Fawna said and flopped down on the sofa.

As if Natya was waiting for those words, she came in pushing a trolley loaded with three plates. "I'm sorry, Miss Reianna. I couldn't get one out to you early. They all finished at the same time."

"Three plates? Is someone coming to dinner, or are you just really hungry, Rei?"

"Umm, I think it would be easier to show you."

Fawna gave Reianna a questioning look.

"Do you know what the city guard was after?"

Fawna shook her head. "No, that's one of the things that we talked about at Maecy's. We all had guesses, but no one really knew."

Reianna took a deep breath and opened her door. "This is what they were here for."

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