The headmaster’s office was about as grand as her entrance in the cafeteria. A marvelous room as wide as a small home with brown velvety carpet and bookshelves and trophy cases lining every wall. A huge panel of glass opposite the double wooden doors overlooked the backside of the academy where a large training field sat with a dozen other buildings surrounding it, and beyond that was a lush forest. And in front of the window was a polished red wood desk facing the doors.
“Abel Wolfe,” Andromeda said lightly, clicking away on her computer. Abel’s throat bobbed. He hadn’t figured he would be in the headmaster’s office his first week at the college. Angelique was seated next to him still as a statue, her eyes closed, her breaths soft. Abel could barely see the faint blue mana permeating from her body, thinking then that the title Ice Queen was entirely appropriate; but he hadn’t seen anything yet.
“Is there any particular reason why you chose to use magic against Angel—Miss Tourneau?” Andromeda continued, shifting her gaze to Abel who avoided her curious eyes by looking around the office in fake admiration.
“I…it was just a prank,” he breathed after a moment, side-eyeing Angelique who remained silent, but he swore there was a flicker of annoyance at the corners of her still closed eyes. “I wanted to ask her something about our last class.” Every guilty party always resulted in lies in the end.
Andromeda shook her head and said, “That’s enough. We don’t want a repeat incident of the entrance ceremony. You have officially been given one demerit. Three demerits in a single semester, or five in one academic year will result in expulsion. There will be no more incidents like this, am I clear?” Abel nodded, shying away from the bright pink eyes full of glaring disappointment. “Additionally, both you and Miss Tourneau will help the alchemy professor clean her lab at the end of each day for the rest of the semester. This is not debatable.
Angelique livened up then, her purple eyes piercing through Andromeda, her mana pouring off her body more plentifully, dropping the temperature of the office drastically. “Why am I being punished? I’m the victim.” Her voice was as cold as her mana. “He blew my juice up and drenched my grimoire.”
Andromeda scoffed. “So your immediate reaction is to kill him? You know that level of magic is not permitted in this school. We don’t even teach it to our students. Your family may have raised you like a soldier, but you are not on a battlefield, young lady. I expect better from you going forward.” The two held gazes for what seemed like an eternity. Abel could feel the magic fighting in the air, it was suffocating.
“I’m sure I can handle cleaning by myself, Miss Morgenstern. Angelique wouldn’t have reacted if I had just—” Andromeda held up a hand.
“Your punishments were not up for debate, dear. You are dismissed. I need to speak privately with your new cleaning partner.”
Abel left the two women alone, the doors closing themselves behind him. He rubbed his hands together, only then noticing how cold Angelique had made the office; the warmth of the hall reminding him that it was still summertime.
……………
“Ultra Class offensive magic is impressive for someone your age. Most wizards, mages, and witches don’t learn that type of magic until they’re well into old age.” Andromeda stood, moving to gaze out windows as the sun began to lower in the sky. Her red hair was even brighter in the sunlight, like actual flames. Angelique flinched as her headmaster turned from the window and vanished, reappearing behind her as if nothing happened.
“Luckily I’m able to protect each of the thousand students in this college. I do that because I love each of you,” Andromeda grasped Angelique’s shoulders, completely ignoring the freezing mana she’d surrounded herself with as if it wasn’t even there. Angelique had been called names her whole life: monster, horror, demonkin. But this woman who could completely bypass her sub-zero magic and touch her was a different beast entirely.
“But I love the money your father generously donates to this institution each year as well as the sum he’s begun paying me to hide your little…outbursts…from the public eye.
Angelique was a monster of a witch, but Morgenstern was a goddess in comparison. The quiet anger in her magic was suffocating, even to someone of Angelique’s caliber. Rather than resting on her shoulders, it felt like Andromeda had both hands around Angeliques neck and was slowly increasing the pressure with each breath.
“Your father and I came to a rather gracious agreement, in fact. In exchange for keeping all your incidents away from any media, I was granted payment and free reign of your punishments.”
Uneasiness made its way through Angelique’s body as Morgenstern burst into shrill laughter.
The house of Tourneau was a vicious one. Children of the house were raised to be hardened killers in the face of adversity. They were trained in politics and negotiations, in the ways of magic: both new and old, and in the way of warrior mages. Tourneau was a name often heard when speaking of the great battle mages of the Great War a millennia ago, though in recent times they’d become something of a corporate tycoon with hands in every corner of modern economy. Children were still raised like bloodthirsty warriors, but many strayed off to take their own paths through the family businesses. Angelique was not one of the lucky siblings in her generation, she was born to be a monster.
Morgenstern’s laughter subsided quickly. She’d sat back at her desk, drained the cup of coffee that Angelique was certain had gotten cold, and slid a slip of paper and a pen across to her. “Sign this contract, no questions. Or you and I will have an immediate meeting with Dominic.”
Angelique shivered at the mention of her father, signing the bottom of the paper immediately and shoving it back toward Morgenstern who had evil satisfaction plastered onto her beautiful face.
“You are dismissed. The next time you end up in my office, let's hope it's on better terms.” And with a smile, Andromeda watched the white haired Ice Queen exit silently.
She cursed as her computer began to ring, frowning at the screen before perking up and answering the call.
“Why am I hearing from you, darling? It’s only the first week of school.”
The line was silent for a moment before a man cleared his voice and spoke. “Our sponsors are excited for the tournament this year. There were supposedly a few promising freshmen coming in this year?”
Morgenstern scoffed, standing and moving again to the window, remaining in view of the screen.
“Another year, and more bets placed on the lives of my students.”
The man's voice was stern as he spoke again. “This is a necessity, Andromeda. Things will change when winter comes. The usual officers will be in attendance during the Trials.”
“And if my students should refuse to enlist? Not everyone is a fan of our nation’s militia, even some locals despise you all.” Andromeda turned to face the screen, scowling as the man finished packing a few suitcases.
“I don’t care either way, Morgenstern. You have no say in this. The only reason we even bother notifying you is out of respect for your predecessor.”
“And when more students get killed this year? Who will be with me to explain to parents that their children were too weak to complete their studies?”
“Do what you always do, and you will have no problems. Have I ever lied to you?” Before Andromeda could respond, he added, “Make sure the tournament is ready on time. I don’t want the military up my ass anymore than they need to be. We’ll talk soon.”
And then he was gone, vanishing from the screen like a ghost. Andromeda sighed, pacing back and forth until a familiar presence appeared at the door.
