"You really want to be a doctor?" Aili looked at Amaury wide-eyed as they looked at the university where Amaury wanted to study. He and Aili planned to move in together, as both universities were close enough to each other.
The walls of the main building were made of white stone, the windows of stained glass. The building complex seemed expensive. Amaury had applied for a place at university, but he didn't know if he would be accepted. As before, healers were preferred as future doctors. Amaury didn't have any magic.
He would have to rely on traditional medicine and this was the only one he could study. The courses for witches and wizards remained closed to him. That didn't bother him. He wanted to help people. He didn't need magic for that. Of course, he knew that he would most likely work with talented healers. And they could be very snooty... He would be fine. Aili had already been accepted at the university of her choice and would start studying spell writing in a month. He was very proud of her.
But Aili was nervous about it. She didn't have enough magic to test spells. For this, she would have to rely on other witches and wizards. Nevertheless, after an elaborate admission test, she had been taken with a kiss. "Doctor!" Smiling, she shook her head. "So you're following in your uncle's footsteps? Prince Fritz?"
"He's a healer. I#M not. But yes, I want to be a doctor!", he said, looking around nervously. "As a trained baker, I feel a bit strange in these halls. Everything is so good here... noble."
"Says the prince without a title!" Aili chuckled. The two walked hand in hand. Aili clung to him as soon as strangers accidentally grazed her.
"I'm not a prince."
"Of course. After all, your favorite aunt is just the queen!" His girlfriend stuck her tongue out at him. "Of course, you will be accepted here! As the queen's nephew!"
"Wouldn't that be unfair to other applicants?" Amaury wanted to make it to this university on his own. Not because of his aunt.
"Most of the competitors are witches and wizards. Until a few years ago, mortals were excluded from this university! Your aunt has changed the law. Mortals had to go to a small school if they wanted to study medicine. And after that, they had little chance of working as a doctor in one of the hospitals. Rather than a nurse! Or as independent doctors in the small villages." Aili shook her head. "In the new school year, the first mortals will be accepted as students at the academy. These people will see it as an honor to host the queen's nephew. Who says that doesn't mean you're good enough?"
"That's good. Or? Just like at the academy." His aunt Lea had finally made it possible for mortals to come to the academy. With the support of the queen, who arranged for the change of several laws. After that, some teachers had resigned. Currently, she hired new teachers. Teachers who did not cling to outdated ideals. "But it's only going to be one class. For mortals with above-average intelligence who are not adequately challenged in normal schools. Aunt Lea has had a new school program developed for them and hired a few new teachers for the new class. Teachers who won’t teach the magical students. It's not perfect. But it's a start."
He would’ve preferred the students to be taught some subjects together, but his aunt had explained to him that the mortal students needed other, more difficult lessons to be fully absorbed. However, clubs were to be offered in the afternoons that all students could attend together. For art, theatre, sports... Some teachers had agreed to run such clubs.
"You’re a true visionary!" Aili kissed his cheek. "Isn't a first step enough?"
"I'd rather we were already five steps ahead! The two of us, in a small house..."
Aili blushed. "First of all, an apartment!"
"Of course." Next, they wanted to look at small apartments that existed in the small town. It was said that some were still available. They were student apartments that were only rented out for the duration of their studies. "But before that, I need to get a place here."
"You'll get it."
"I love your optimism. And you'll write a spell that will break the binding spells for good!" The first spell had gone tragically wrong. It had been written with the utmost care. It had been tested on animals. On animals that have previously been provided with a binding spell. It took time, the spell had to be rewritten until one of the animals finally survived. Only then did they dare to try on a bound person. A volunteer. Unlike the rabbit, he didn’t survive.
The spell apparently only worked on animals, not on elves, werewolves, and centaurs.
Why, was currently still unclear.
The queen suspected that someone had deliberately manipulated the spell. There was no other way to explain it. This has now been explored while the development of a counter-spell went into the next round. All previous witches and wizards who had been involved were replaced for safety.
"Amaury! I don't think I'm that good! Writing new spells is considered very difficult!", his girlfriend protested. "In the entrance test, we had to try our hand at writing a very simple spell. We had specifications on what the spell should achieve and the appropriate signs. Very few have managed to write a working spell out of it!"
"And you were the first to do it! That's why you're going to make it!" He kissed her hair and pulled her close to him as they looked out of one of the colorful windows into the university's small inner garden. The dormitory they wanted to go to had a similar courtyard. It was an old building made of brown stone. Aili immediately fell in love with the architecture of the apartment building.
Two weeks later, Amaury was accepted to study. And they got a small apartment, in the dormitory made of brown stone.
