Chapter 57: Punishment
Reynold was sitting up on the bed with the food tray balanced on his lap.
He was rushing the food on it. He tore into the dark rye bread first, then went straight for the braised lamb without stopping in between.
Gwyn was sitting in the chair beside him. Nyx had already left.
Reynold reached for another spoon and nearly choked on it.
Gwyn let out a small laugh.
Reynold shifted his eyes to her with his mouth still full. "What."
"Nothing." She shook her head. "Mm... I am just glad you are okay."
Reynold used his tongue to work a piece of food that was loose from his teeth, chewed it down properly, then reached for the water and drank. He then set the cup down and picked up the spoon again.
"...You and Nyx," he said with his eyes still on the tray. "Still taking things slowly?" He glanced sideways at her. "Or officially a thing now?"
Hearing, Reynold’s words, Gwyn’s cheeks immediately turned pink. She looked away. "Officially a thing."
"Good" Reynold said, and took another spoon of food.
Just then, the door opened and professor Valerius and Sergeant Veridian entered.
Gwyn straightened and stood. "Professor. Sergeant."
Professor Valerius walked in first with his hands behind his back. Sergeant Veridian followed and closed the door quietly behind her.
Valerius looked at Reynold. "How are you doing?"
"Good," Reynold said, and reached for the lamb again.
Valerius did not say another word as he first watched him for a moment. "There has been a new development." He paused. "You will be transferred to the Ironhold and you will be staying there for a month or maybe two, depending on how things move."
Gwyn’s eyes immediately widened hearing it.. But she did not say anything.
Reynold who just lifted his spoon with food in it had to stopped. He looked at Valerius for a moment, then he put the food in his mouth, chewed, and swallowed it.
"What is the Ironhold," he said. "And where is it."
Sergeant Veridian was the one who answered. "It is a restricted wing inside the academy. It is at the northeast end, behind the old drill towers. The wards there are the strongest in this entire campus. No student gets in without faculty clearance. No outside message reaches you without being screened first." She said.
Reynold took another spoon of food. "Mmm... Why are you sending me there?"
Valerius sighed softly. "To keep you away from the highborns."
Reynold looked at him and then took another food into his mouth. "I am not scared of the highborns."
"Well" Valerius said. "This is not about fear. It is about not letting things get worse."
Reynold took another spoon.
Valerius was quiet for a moment. He then sighed.
"I was not supposed to tell you this," Valerius said. "But I think you need to hear it." He paused. "At the last general council meeting held by the king, word had already reached them about what you are. A Two who is bonded to three dragons." He paused again. "There were people in that room who wanted to have you puppeted and placed in the Enclave facility. To be used for their binding work under their direction."
The room immediately went very still as Reynold stopped chewing.
While Gwyn’s hand flew to her mouth in shock.
"The vote was overturned," Valerius continued. "But if this thing with the highborns get worse and things get out of hand and people push for a re-vote in the council..." He paused. "I do not know if you can be lucky for a second time."
There was complete silence in the room.
Gwyn was staring at Reynold now. Her hand was still pressed over her mouth and her eyes were doing everything her voice was not. She was damn shock.
Reynold had already stopped eating.
He knew the kingdom was a mess. The North, the South, the East, the West, and the capital all of them are rotten in their own way, and there all held together by pride and politics and old blood..
Dammit!
If they puppeted him, it will be over for him. He will not dead tho but it will be worse.
He will be owned and have no free choices of his own except whatever direction they gave him.
Then, everything he came here for, the grades, join the military and get posted to the war zone near where his parents was last stationed, find answer to what actually happened that day — all of it will be a waste..
Dammit.
He could not let that happen.
He suddenly take a slow breath. Then he set the tray aside on the bedside table.
"Okay," he said.
Valerius looked at him. "Okay?"
"Ironhold," Reynold said. " it’s fine by me."
Valerius gave a small nod. Veridian then added.
"Rest today," Veridian said. "We move you tomorrow at first light." She glanced briefly at Gwyn, then back at Reynold. "We will leave you with your friend."
They turned and walked out.
Immediately door was closed, Gwyn rushed to Reynold side and pulled him into a hug before he could say anything. Her arms went around his shoulders and she held him without speaking.
Reynold sat still for a second. He was not expecting it.
Then his arm came up slowly and rested at her back.
Meanwhile, outside in the corridor, Valerius and Veridian was walking when a figure stepped out from the corner near the wall.
Nymeria.
She had been there the whole time. She nodded to Sergeant Veridian and then shifted her eyes to Valerius . "Is the Ironhold really the best option?"
"Yes," Valerius said as they kept walking.
Nymeria was quiet for a moment. Then, "Do you think they may call for a re-vote?"
Valerius did not answer immediately.
"I do not know," he said finally.
Nymeria said nothing after that.
.....
After the challenge, the atmosphere of the academy changed completely.
The highborns were boiling.
Even the lowborns had gone quiet completely. Most of the first-year lowborn cadets was even afraid of leaving their dorm at night after that the challenge fight.
As for Reynold’s three dorm mates. The siblings is still yet to stepped foot inside their own room once since the fight. They had been crashing at a friend’s side.
Rumours were already flying. Some said thay Reynold broke the academy protocol and violated every rule of the fighting challenge.
While some said the academy authority is going to come down hard on Reynold for breaking the rules...
Some said he was getting expelled..
In fact, everybody was making their won assumptions..
Right now, the students were going about their usual afternoon when the announcement board suddenly lit up.
The cadets that were close to to it stopped walking.
One of them read it. Then read it again.
Then looked up.
"They released a statement about Reynold!" he shouted. "He is getting punished. "
Hearing it, different cadets raised snapped their head up.
Most of them rushed to the board to see.
It was mostly the first-years running to go see. Within two minutes there was a crowd in front of the board.