Levisa recited her long to-do list under her breath. The day of the tournament was always a busy one, especially for her as the dean of the mage academy. She had been up since before dawn coordinating supply deliveries, haggling with vendors, and covering last-minute staffing changes for the tournament judges. Just as congratulated herself on being ahead of schedule, a messenger arrived. The emperor had summoned her.
Walking at a speed most people jog at, she quickly arrived at the emperor’s castle. The royal guards granted her entry, feeling a strong tingling sensation as she walked by. Light was her lumi’s natural element, and it tended to seep out of her body in response to stress. She arrived at her destination, a secluded hallway close to the emperor’s throne room. It was empty. Levisa sighed and leaned her back against the wall with her arms crossed, her finger tapping impatiently. After a few minutes the emperor finally arrived.
“Levisa Shar. Thank you for coming,” he said in a low voice.
“Your Highness,” Levisa bowed. “How may I be of service?”
“I apologize for pulling you away from other matters, but I needed to speak with you regarding one of the students in your academy. Praecio Umethyra. Are you familiar with him?”
“Yes, of course,” Levisa nodded. “Our one-and-only foreign exchange student from Sylvanemus. The first Dryadalu to attend our school.”
“Yes, that’s the one. Tell me, how has his performance been thus far?”
“Exceptional, according to his instructors. Very gifted with wind magic, though that’s not surprising for an elf. He is competing in the tournament today.”
“Excellent. Praecio, as you may know, is the third son of Praecilius, king of the Dryadalu. Having an elven prince attend our academy represents significant diplomatic advancement between our kingdoms. It is imperative to our ongoing relationship that he graduates and is accepted into secondary school.”
“Well, to do so, he just needs to win two of his three battles in the tournament today. Shouldn’t be a problem for him, the odds are overwhelmingly in his favor,” Levisa replied.
“Perhaps, but I am not one to leave things up to chance. I need a guarantee that he will pass,” the emperor said emphatically. Levisa’s eyes narrowed. She didn’t like where this conversation was heading.
“I’m not sure what you’re implying I do, but the only way for a student to pass is to win two battles in the tournament.”
“Adjust the tournament roster so that two of his opponents will be your lowest performing students. That should secure his passing without making a spectacle.”
Levisa felt her heart-rate sharply rise, fighting to keep her voice calm and level. “With all due respect, your highness, the tournament selections are not something to be tampered with. We painstakingly evaluate each student and match them against opponents of similar skill levels. Pitting a low level student against a student like him is unfair. Praecio should have to compete under the same rules as everyone else.”
“I’m not requesting this of you, Levisa, I am commanding it as your emperor. This is for the greater good of our empire,” said the emperor, his usual fatherly tone now harsh and exacting.
“I cannot-”
“Tell me, Levisa, do you value your position as dean?” The emperor interrupted before she could continue with her protest.
“Yes, your highness,” she nodded slowly.
“Good. Now prove it. Unless you think that the archmage would better suited to have that title.” Prosephius said pointedly.
“I do not,” Levisa said through a clenched jaw. The emperor knew exactly how to hit her where it hurt. The archmage was corrupt, haughty, and frankly the last person she would want in charge of future generations of mages. What the emperor was demanding of her offended every value she held dear. But after evaluating the alternatives, she chose the lesser of two evils.
“I will make it so, your highness.”
Levisa stood with a sour expression as the emperor walked away. After taking a moment to somewhat bridle her anger, she stormed off to the mage academy to make the emperor’s adjustments to the roster. The thought of rigging a match against a weaker student sickened her. But, despite her feelings of regret and anger, she knew exactly who to pick.
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