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Zaryen”s strong grip on his hand reminded Meveris of yesterday, in a different office, when his newly-found companion had been afraid to admit what he”d done in order to come here—and even more afraid of being sent away.

Without thinking, Meveris stepped in front of Zaryen, ready to defend him, ready to—

”Calm down,” Taveris told him in a tone that broke no arguments. ”I”m on your side.”

Meveris relaxed minutely and took a step back, turning towards his companion, who seemed frozen in place.

”Hey, I”m here, okay?” Meveris murmured. ”You”re safe.”

”Am I?”

Zaryen”s helplessness resonated through Meveris even as he realized his companion wasn”t asking him.

He was asking his brother.

”The Academy granted you sanctuary, so if you want to stay here, you”ll stay.” Taveris”s voice was still firm, but gentler than moments before. ”However, your brother demands to see you and he”s spewing all sorts of accusations at the school and at the headmaster himself, so we need you to make your stance clear to him.”

Meveris narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to protest, but a sharp look from Taveris shut him up right away.

”We”re not going to leave you alone with him, and he has no legal authority over you, here or elsewhere, now that you declared your emancipation,” Taveris continued. ”He cannot make you leave, nor can he convince the headmaster to send you away, if that”s your concern. But if he continues to throw these accusations around, it won”t be good for anyone. He came here with the family lawyer, and he insists you were forced into this. He wants to rescue you.”

Zaryen”s hand trembled in his, and Meveris wanted to grab him and run, hide in their room until everything calmed down.

But it wasn”t going to calm down on its own. Not if a noble family were to accuse the Academy of kidnapping their son.

”I can”t speak to him alone,” Zaryen finally said, quiet and scared, so scared that it seemed to reverberate inside Meveris”s chest.

”And you won”t,” Taveris assured him once again. ”The headmaster will be there, and so will I, along with your companion, of course.”

Zaryen inhaled shakily before nodding.

”Okay.” When he met Meveris”s gaze, his eyes wide and shiny. ”I”m so sorry it”s such a mess.”

Meveris lifted their hands and dropped a kiss onto his companion”s knuckles.

”You have nothing to apologize for. They do.”

With that, they followed Taveris towards the headmaster”s office. The corridor was thankfully empty, as everyone was still in the dining hall, so if they were lucky, nobody would even see them or find out about this, unless Zaryen”s family decided to take it further.

But that was a problem for another day.

For now, Meveris”s sole responsibility was to support his companion through a painful confrontation he could hardly imagine himself. Sure, he and his siblings didn”t always see eye to eye, but he knew, with a level of certainty that he was only now starting to appreciate, that all of them were always willing to offer their support. To stand by him, not stand in his way.

As they paused in front of the headmaster”s door, Zaryen glanced at him, then slowly straightened his fingers, releasing his hold on Meveris”s hand.

”It”ll be better if…” He hesitated. ”There”s no need to antagonize him even more.”

Once again, Meveris opened his mouth to protest, to say that he didn”t care what was better for anyone other than Zaryen, but he caught Taveris”s gaze behind his companion, and his brother nodded.

Hook it all.

Meveris might hate it, but he didn”t have much choice, did he?

He slowly let go of Zaryen and clasped his wrists behind his back.

With his hand on the door handle, Taveris turned to Zaryen again.

”Remember you are not alone here. He cannot do anything to you, legally or physically.”

Physically. Because, of course, emotional harm was unavoidable, at this point.

As they entered the room—Zaryen and Meveris first, with Taveris close behind them—whatever discussion had been taking place there before abruptly ended.

The two men sitting on the guest side of the headmaster”s desk stood up, and the younger and taller of them moved towards them with a frown, then halted when Zaryen took a step back.

”I”m here to take you home this instant.” The man narrowed his eyes. ”They”re not going to keep you here.”

The headmaster stood up slowly. ”As I”ve told you repeatedly—”

”I”m not going anywhere,” Zaryen cut in, his voice surprisingly firm for how much he was trembling internally. ”I”m legally of age, and I came here of my own free will. Nobody is making me do this.”

”Our parents were clear in their decision.”

”Yes, they were. But that was their decision, Goryen. This is mine.”

”You cannot make that choice on your own. You need our parents” consent and you don”t have it. They didn”t sign the final application, they”re not going to pay the tuition, and no family member was with you when you arrived here, which is a known requirement for all students of this… place. This whole thing is void and you”re making a spectacle out of all of us.”

Goryen glanced at the man who accompanied him, but the lawyer stayed silent as his gaze was stuck on something—or someone—behind Zaryen and Meveris.

”I had money to pay my tuition from the trust I received, and I signed my own application, which is unusual but not illegal, if I”m aware it makes me emancipated in the eyes of the law moving forward. I”m sure Lord Ebalias will be able to explain it to you. As things stand, I”m the head of my family of one.” Zaryen”s voice wavered briefly at that, but he went on. ”And while someone accompanying me for my Passage would have been nice, it is not a requirement. It”s simply a tradition, not a rule.”

”Nothing around here is about following rules,” Goryen snarled and took another step closer.

Meveris immediately moved to shield Zaryen, only for Taveris to put himself in front of them both, blocking them from whatever Goryen was trying to do.

”We certainly don”t allow any physical violence here,” Taveris said in a hard voice Meveris had never heard from him. ”You can definitely consider that a rule.”

Goryen”s nose flared. ”I wasn”t trying to hurt my own brother. Now, get out of my way.”

Ignoring the lawyer who made a pitying sound of protest, Meveris squared his shoulders and glared at Zaryen”s brother over Taveris”s shoulder.

”Watch it. Remember who you”re talking to.”

That made Goryen snort.

”There are no titles inside the Academy. Or is it yet another rule you use as you please?”

”You”re not a student here,” the headmaster spoke up. ”So no, this rule doesn”t apply to you, Lord Goryen. You should address your future King Consort as the tradition demands.”

Goryen didn”t even turn around, but he did narrow his gaze at Taveris.

”He”s not the King Consort yet.”

Meveris inhaled sharply, and everyone in the room aside from Goryen and Taveris seemed to do the same.

Taveris didn”t even blink.

”People more powerful than you have tried to stand in our way,” he said. ”Your veiled threats are thus hardly relevant, but I will make note of them, anyway. And so will the royal council.”

”Your Highness,” the lawyer croaked, but Goryen interrupted him.

”I did not threaten you, I was merely stating a point,” he gritted out. ”I bow to the current King, not to whoever may or may not take his place one day.”

Taveris snorted, which seemed to make Goryen even angrier.

”So it is you who thinks he may pick and choose the rules to obey, not your brother. He followed the necessary admission steps, and then he asked for sanctuary, making it clear that he couldn”t be assured of his ongoing safety at his ancestral home following this decision. The sanctuary was granted by the Academy, in accordance with the tradition of many educational institutions throughout history, as I”m sure the headmaster has already explained to you.” Taveris turned his head towards the lawyer. ”I hope you know what that means and what the right of sanctuary entails.”

”Yes, Your Highness.”

”Good. You can explain it to your client on your way back home.”

The lawyer kept his head bowed. ”Yes, Your Highness.”

”I”m not leaving without my brother,” Goryen argued, raising his voice.

”Yes, you are,” both the headmaster and Taveris said at the same time, but it was Zaryen who spoke up next.

”I”m not going anywhere with you, Goryen. I want to stay here. This is, and always was, my choice to make.”

”Our parents will not allow this. You know that, and you”re just making things difficult for everyone.”

”Lord Ebalias, is it?” Taveris addressed the lawyer again, seemingly ignoring Goryen.

”Yes, Your Highness.”

”You should advise your clients that any further demands from the family of someone who sought sanctuary to escape them are unwise and can result in more problems than gains.”

”Yes, Your Highness.”

”Don”t listen to him,” Goryen snapped at his lawyer.

”I think your dealings here are done.” The headmaster came around his desk and stood to the side of Goryen. ”You argued that your brother is held here against his will, which you now know is not the case. Zaryen has no intention of leaving with you, and he stated that to you and your lawyer repeatedly. There”s nothing more for you to do, other than go back home and share your findings with your family. Hopefully, they will be relieved to learn that their son is safe and content to remain where he is. I would guess that the faster they know that, the better.”

”You”re bringing scandal on yourself and your school,” Goryen told him before nodding sharply. ”If that”s your choice, though, I will take my leave.”

Meveris tugged Zaryen away from the door, leaving Taveris between them and Goryen at all times until the man left, followed by the lawyer and the headmaster, who announced he was going to walk them out.

The second the door was closed behind them, Meveris pulled his companion into his arms.

Zaryen stayed still for a moment, but then he crumbled. He made a wounded sound and started to tremble, even as he clung to Meveris with desperation even greater than yesterday morning, when they”d been waiting for the headmaster”s decision about the sanctuary.

”You”re safe,” Meveris murmured, over and over again. ”You”re not going anywhere. You”re safe.”

It took a few minutes before Zaryen relaxed enough so they could sit down on the couch. Meveris pulled him onto his lap, with barely a glance towards Taveris, who was leaning against the wall by the window, looking out.

Hook, Meveris was so immensely grateful for his brother being with them for this. Ever since Taveris had returned, Meveris had made a point of regularly telling him and other family members that he loved them, but this, right there, went way beyond that.

Not only had Taveris helped him protect his companion, but he”d also put himself between them and the threat.

Meanwhile, Zaryen”s own brother tried to force his hand, and when that didn”t work, he tried to threaten Taveris and the Academy.

”I”m so sorry,” Zaryen whispered into Meveris”s neck. ”I”m sorry.”

”Shh, I told you, you have nothing to be sorry for. Nothing he said was your fault.”

”I wish that was true.” Zaryen pulled back and shifted in Meveris”s lap to face Taveris. ”Still, he”s a member of my family and through his actions, he caused offense to the Prince Consort and the Prince Heir himself. I feel like I need to formally apologize.”

Taveris turned towards them at that.

”Like my brother said, you have nothing to apologize for.”

”What he said—”

”Is what many people think.” Taveris shrugged. ”While most don”t say it to my face, it doesn”t change the fact that I”m used to the voices—and acts—of the opposition.”

”I”m not one of those people, so I feel even worse about my brother”s behavior. Thank you for everything you said and did.”

Taveris nodded. ”I did what needed to be done. And I didn”t do it because you”re my brother”s companion. I would have done the same for every student at the Academy.”

”I”m glad that you don”t have to.” Zaryen lowered his gaze to his lap where his and Meveris”s hands were resting on top of each other. ”What are the chances that they don”t make a mess out of this?”

One look at his brother told Meveris that they were largely nonexistent.

”The headmaster knew what might happen when he agreed to your request,” Taveris said. ”The Academy will face whatever it needs to, but this place wasn”t built for weak-willed men, you know? Human or dragon.”

Meveris hid his smile against Zaryen”s shoulder. It was an argument Taveris had often repeated when he was making Meveris and Lanveris train harder before he left for the Academy, and later on, when the family worried about his and Caleen”s circumstances over the years.

Zaryen rested his head against Meveris”s with a sigh but didn”t say anything.

The silence that fell was a little lighter than moments before, and Meveris didn”t feel like moving. He would take on the world to protect his companion, but since the immediate danger had passed, he was content to stay where he was.

His place was at Zaryen”s side, after all.

No matter what anyone said.