Getting Lucky

“Nestor!”

“Airi!”

They ran to each other across the grass. Nestor was wearing the white robes of the students. As a student, he wouldn't receive his crest until much later.

Airi stood awkwardly, acutely aware of her arms hanging at her sides. What was she supposed to do, pat him on the head?

“Are you okay? What happened? They locked you up, didn’t they?” Nestor frantically searched for the answers in Airi’s face.

“Yeah.” Airi found that she could smile about it. “It was stupid of me to keep arguing with that mage. I don’t think I was really thinking clearly.”

“You’re not gonna do it again, right?” Nestor said. “Because you might get in trouble again.”

“Yeah, I’ll be more careful next time.”

“Okay, ‘cause I don’t want you to get in trouble,” Nestor said.

A pause.

“I’m sorry. If I were a powerful mage, they would have let us in. I wasn’t good enough.”

It was true. Airi couldn’t help but envision how the situation would have unfolded if she’d had an experienced mage like Mildred at her side, instead of Nestor. But would Mildred have looked back, like Nestor had? Or would she have gotten into that boat and sailed away into the bright future awaiting her, leaving Airi to be dragged away by the guards?

“You’ll be powerful one day.” Airi smiled at Nestor. “I hear you can levitate frogs now. Wanna show me?”

The Dining Room was on Lower III. Theoretically, it was magnificent, with mahogany tables, lace tablecloths, and frosted towers of sumptuous food. Stained-glass bluebirds and doves soared on the sapphire ceiling. Yet Airi couldn’t help but be reminded of her school cafeteria.

Airi scanned the room. She wasn’t used to having to choose where to sit; Kazuko had always claimed a table for her and her friends. Thinking about Kazuko almost made her lose her appetite.

“Do you see any of your friends?” she asked Nestor.

Nestor fidgeted. “No.”

They walked past the tables, avoiding eye contact. At least some of the mages must know about Airi or Nestor, because eyes flicked in their direction. Airi saw the little red-haired mage, Susie, surrounded by a gaggle of friends. But by far the busiest table was the one where Marianne sat, a laugh forming on her lips. Airi looked away.

“Oh! Airi!” Marianne called, waving madly. “Over here!”

Airi walked over, conscious of all the eyes watching her. “There’s no more seats.”

“That’s no problem! Henry, be a dear and duplicate some chairs for Airi and Nestor?”

The whole table laughed. Airi forced a smile, though all she wanted to do was run away.

“I’m just kidding,” Marianne said. “Here!” She got up and pulled a chair from a nearby table, squeezing it into the corner next to her. Another mage pulled up a chair for Nestor.

“I’m so happy you were able to find the Dining Room! I really should have given you a map,” Marianne said. She turned to her friends. “Everyone, this is Airi and Nestor! They’re new to the Lower Palace.”

The mages nodded politely at Airi and smiled at Nestor. He could barely swallow a bite in between all their questions. Airi mostly listened. She didn’t feel like talking, and she definitely didn’t want to give away that she wasn’t a real mage.

Marianne was the opposite. She seemed to know exactly what to say and when to say it. But unlike Kazuko, Marianne’s friends didn’t hang on to her every word. In fact, most of them seemed to be having their own conversations.

The room hushed. Airi followed the mages’ eyes to Mildred, balancing a tray and books at the door. Hands shot up like bidders at an auction. “Distinguished Mage! I have a question!” “Sit here, sit here!”

Marianne was one of the people waving. “Mildred! Over here!”

Mildred walked past them all and sat down at an empty table near the back wall. She didn’t look up.

People returned to their own conversations, but Airi watched Mildred. Mildred would scarf a bite, flip the page, and stuff another bite into her mouth while scanning the page. What a weirdo. Did she really have no friends?

Airi stood, hardly aware of what she was doing. Marianne looked up in surprise. “Airi? Is something wrong?”

“No, I’m just...” Airi waved vaguely.

“Oh, going for dessert? The puff pastries are my favorite!”

Airi nodded and smiled. Her feet took her towards the puff pastries. But halfway there, she changed directions. She drifted over to the empty table and sat down next to Mildred.

Mildred looked up. A flurry of emotions crossed her face, and she scooted her chair and tray away from Airi. “You again? What do you want?”

“Are you eating another sandwich? You know there’s, like, a million other things, right?” Airi asked, looking at Mildred’s plate.

“Sandwiches are the quickest. Which you should know.” Mildred glared. Airi remembered the half-eaten sandwich and tried not to smirk.

Nestor walked up, looked nervously at Mildred, and sat down next to Airi.

“You didn’t have to follow me,” Airi said, though she was glad. Hopefully, his presence would make the conversation less awkward.

Mildred was now pointedly ignoring Airi. A spark of annoyance ignited in Airi’s chest, and she turned to Nestor.

“So, Nestor,” she said loudly, watching Mildred out of the corner of her eye. “What were we talking about? How I got locked in the dungeons?"

Mildred flipped the page.

“Oh yeah! You didn’t finish telling me what happened,” Nestor pressed. “Was it scary?”

Airi remembered the sinking feeling of staring at the cell bars between her and freedom, not knowing whether she’d ever escape the stifling walls. The same fear had haunted her at home, crushed by monotony and weariness.

“...Yeah, I guess,” she said, more quietly than she would’ve liked.

Mildred’s eyes were no longer moving across the page.

“How did you get out?” Nestor asked.

Mildred cleared her throat. “Well, maybe... maybe someone realized that a mistake had been made,” she said.

“Wow. You got lucky, Airi!” Nestor exclaimed.

Airi looked at Mildred and smiled. “...Yeah. I got lucky.”

Though Mildred avoided Airi's eyes and looked intently at her book, Airi could see the smile in her ice-colored eyes.