‘Those who are admitted to the Shinden Alliance School of Sorcery are among the smartest and most capable young adults in the Clan Worlds,’ Mitsuko said. Her voice projected well into the auditorium, carrying with it a sense of authority, but also a hint of familiarity. You felt as though she was addressing you, not just a room full of people. ‘Many will go on to serve our society in the Alliance Security Force. Others will advance the science of magic or go on to create new technology which will make life better for our people. But right now, we are all here to learn. We are all students, equal in the eyes of the school’s administration.’
She paused briefly, smiling. ‘“Equal,” you might say. “You sleep in an apartment bigger than my family’s home while I sleep in a shoebox.” Of course, you’re right. We are differentiated by the wealth of our families and the power of our clans. Wealth and power don’t make us better than anyone else – they just give us a better start. Those without those advantages who have made it to this school have earned their right to be here. They deserve more respect, not less.’
Another pause. There were some murmurs in the audience, though Nava could not tell whether they were positive, negative, or both. ‘Those who have chosen to concentrate on non-combat studies in this school are still students,’ Mitsuko went on. ‘They contribute as much to the life of our school as the combat-oriented students do and should be treated with as much respect.’ Louder noises from the audience, though still indistinct. Mitsuko did not raise her voice, but she easily spoke over them. ‘This, then, is what I believe in: fairness. We come to our school to spend six years learning all we can in our chosen fields of magic, but, more, to grow into useful members of clan society. These should be some of the best years of our lives. I intend to make sure that they are, for every student of the Shinden Alliance School of Sorcery. Whether you are born into a powerful family or a weak one. Whatever your chosen field of study. Even those without a clan are students, equal under the rules of this school, and all of us should be able to look back on our time here with pride.’
Mitsuko stepped back from the lectern, lowering her eyes, and the audience burst into applause. A wave began at the rear of the seating and swept forward, and the applause became a standing ovation. But not everyone clapped, and not everyone got to their feet. There was nothing to say that combat stream and wealthier students were to take the front ranks of seating while everyone else sat further back, but it was the way things tended to work when no one gave seat assignments. It was noticeable that those more toward the front seemed less pleased with Mitsuko’s speech than those at the back.
‘How did I do?’ Mitsuko asked as she moved to the back of the stage between Nava and Courtney.
‘Depends who you ask, I think,’ Courtney said.
‘You actually presented policies,’ Nava said, ‘which puts you ahead of the others in my view. You had them all listening, even if some seemed to be less pleased with your closing statements than others.’
‘Well, no one tried to kill me, which is a plus,’ Mitsuko said.
‘We haven’t got you back to your apartment yet,’ Nava replied.
‘Remind me to speak to you about optimism, Nava.’
Nava shrugged. ‘Optimists are never pleasantly surprised.’
~~~
‘Were you hoping to get Mel into bed with us this afternoon?’ Nava asked. She was lying with her head on Mitsuko’s shoulder; that worked a lot better than trying it the other way around and, despite the fact that Nava was older by a month, Mitsuko liked the ‘older sister’ vibe the position gave off. Of course, sisters did not usually lie in bed together naked after sex.
‘Hoped is too strong a word,’ Mitsuko replied. ‘I had a couple of fantasies about it, but I realise that she’s too shy to just spring something like that upon. I was quite surprised that she accepted the robe after you pointed out that small detail.’
‘She’s determined to overcome her shyness and sufficiently educated in the dictates of polite society to feel that she should only put up so much resistance to accepting a gift. She was flattered by your attention, though I’m not sure she got half your inferences. She isn’t clueless, but if you want her, you’ll probably have to pursue her more aggressively.’
‘You don’t seem like you’d be upset if I did.’
‘Well, you did seem to wish to include me. However, I’d not be excessively put out if you dumped me for her.’
‘Oh?’ Nava could not see the frown on Mitsuko’s face, but she could hear it in her voice. ‘Another of your peculiarities. You rarely show your emotions. You keep them hidden. I know you have them because, to be a little crude, I’ve seen your sex face, but you act as though there’s nothing behind that mask of yours. Wouldn’t you be even a little jealous of Mel if I took her to bed without you?’
‘I might be jealous of you…’
Mitsuko chuckled. ‘She is gorgeous. She’s so… cute. And her breasts…’ There was a sigh and then a change of subject. ‘I value your opinion.’
‘On Mel’s breasts?’
‘On my chances. You seem to have done a lot of research. I have my own estimates, but what do you think my chances of winning are?’
‘Too early to tell,’ Nava replied. ‘However, I think you have a better than average chance, especially after that speech. You’ll get a strong showing from the support students. Some may be put off by your family and clan, but most will see that as a positive. Among the combat stream, you probably lost some votes today. Those will be pushed toward Tracey Spears. Not every combat student is
