Drakethorne and Veilcaster approached the desk. The desk man sprang to his feet, bowed quickly, and forced an awkward smile. His face was tense as he hoped to avoid trouble, sensing the anger radiating from Shane.
Alex stepped up to the desk and placed his hand on it, trying to peek at the ledger where names and details were being recorded. Ariana tried to copy her brother, but she was too short to see above the desk.
Thalia Veilcaster laughed at Ariana’s adorable attempt, but she quickly covered her mouth and turned away when Ariana gave her an angry glare.
Cassian felt a bit awkward after everything that had happened since meeting the Drakethorne family. He knew there was bad blood with the Sealbornes, but he was surprised that they would actually start fighting in public. He glanced at his friend Shane, who had remained silent, while Sera moved up to the desk to fill out Alex’s details.
Cassian sighed inwardly, then placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder and said, "You’re making things awkward." He had overheard what Corvin Sealborne, the Grand Duke, had whispered to Shane by using his enhanced hearing, even though Corvin had intended only Shane to hear. Cassian had not meant to eavesdrop, but felt he had to intervene to prevent another argument.
Shane glanced at his friend, realizing he was making things difficult. He forced himself to calm down, though Corvin’s words had struck deeper than he wanted to admit.
Shane watched his wife as she gave their son’s information to the desk man, who wrote everything down quickly and did not dare ask any questions. Shane walked over and lifted Ariana onto his shoulder since she had been trying to stand on tiptoe to see the ledger.
Ariana immediately broke into a smile and felt awkward when she noticed how many people were watching them. She looked around curiously, and as soon as the onlookers realized they had been caught, they hurriedly looked away. Ariana turned back to the ledger, reading the columns that listed name, nobility or commoner status, age, parents, guardian details, and so on.
Ariana glanced at Thalia, who had laughed at her earlier, and gave her a smug smile before turning back to the ledger.
Once Alex’s details were finished, Cassian slowly approached the desk to fill out the same information for his daughter.
Alex stood by, waiting for instructions. He pointed toward the entrance, then at himself, silently asking if he was supposed to go in.
Sera saw that the noise had quieted down, with only a low murmur from the crowd. She pointed to her ear and gestured for him to remove his earplugs.
Alex slowly took out one earplug. When he realized it was not too noisy, he removed the other and handed both back to his mother.
Alex asked, "Am I supposed to go in now, or what?"
Cassian, who was giving the desk man information, turned to Alex in surprise. His eyes widened as he realized the boy was not mute, but had simply been wearing earplugs. Cassian felt relieved that he had not asked Shane about his son’s supposed muteness. If he had, he might have ended up with Shane’s sword at his throat or made a joke of himself.
Sera bent down to Alex’s eye level and said softly, "You need to remove all your artifacts and treasures. You should go in with Thalia; she will help you find your way. She’s a kind girl."
Alex glanced at the artifacts he wore, reluctant to take them off. He had worn them for as long as he could remember.
Shane noticed his son’s reluctance and walked over, with Ariana still sitting on his shoulders, clutching his head. "Don’t worry," he said gently. "Everyone has to remove their artifacts. The academy promotes fairness and wants everyone to be on equal footing. The only advantage you can have is your own skill."
Alex nodded, his expression downcast, and slowly removed his items one by one. First the necklace, then the rings, the earrings, and finally the bracelet.
He looked up at his parents, his eyes brimming with tears. "Can’t I take the dragon egg with me?" he asked. The dragon egg was his most treasured possession, and the thought of leaving it behind felt like giving up a piece of himself.
Shane immediately understood what his son was feeling. He gently placed his hand on Alex’s head. Alex looked up at his father, while Ariana watched her brother with a sad expression, feeling his sadness at having to part with the dragon egg.
Shane smiled and said, "You don’t need to worry. Students are allowed to keep their contracted familiar. We already wrote it down in the ledger—did you forget?"
Alex remembered the desk man had written “dragon egg” under the contracted familiars column. Relief washed over him, and his face lit up with a smile. He had been so worried about parting with the dragon egg.
Sera placed all of Alex’s artifacts into her dimensional space. Before standing back up, she pinched his cheeks and kissed his forehead.
Alex glanced around and noticed people watching them. "Mother, you don’t have to do that. I’m old now," he protested.
Sera laughed. "You’ll always be my child," she replied. Shane smiled at Alex’s embarrassed expression, while Ariana giggled at her brother’s protest.
Thalia watched Alex and his family interact, then slowly turned her head toward her own father, who was busy giving their details to the desk man. Her uncle Malrec stood beside her, focused on the desk. Thalia looked down at her feet and clenched her fists, feeling a mix of sadness and jealousy toward Alex.
Malrec noticed her gaze and turned to his niece, who was looking down. He sensed something was wrong, so he gently placed a hand on her head. "What’s wrong? Is everything alright?" he asked softly.
Thalia lifted her face, gave a small smile, and said, "I am fine. I just got something in my eye, but I managed to remove it."