You Only Live Twice

XXII

OLIVIA STARED AT THE PARCHMENT IN her hands.

Dear Ms. Olivia Auclair,

We, the Alexandreia S. College of Academics and Magic, would like to formally invite you to join our school next term.

We were immensely impressed by your test results, and would be honored to have you as our student.

We anxiously await your arrival.

Sincerely,

Richard Glendale

Headmaster of the Alexandreia S. Academy

Olivia sighed folding the letter back up neatly and placing it beside herself. She leaned her head against the side of the carriage and peaked out through the curtains, warm light streamed into the carriage and lit up the previously dark space, she watched as the servants bustled about and loaded her luggage onto the back of the carriage.

A few months have passed since the letter had originally arrived. The duchess had had Lady Laurier come around more often to speed up her etiquette classes, other then that nothing very eventful had happened in her life. She'd asked Sir Koen about the academy but he was limited to only the common knowledge having been a graduate from a foreign university.

The Alexandreia Academy was established around a century ago in a secluded forest area near the mountains, the closest town being about a half an hour carriage ride. The academy is known is only accept the best, getting into the school depended on your own talents and abilities.
The original Lady Auclair got in from connections her father had as she was gifted in neither magic nor academics, this was kept under tight wraps until she was inevitably exposed after messing with the female lead few too many times. If Olivia remembers correctly, this is what had gotten her expelled from the academy and the story as a whole.

The Olivia now got in purely from her own ability, truthfully the test was on what any usual middle schooler would expect, she passed with flying colors. She thinks that's about the only time her parents had ever really congratulated her, however small the pat on the shoulder and 'it's to be expected' was.

Before she was to set off on her hour and a half journey to the train station Estelle came to see her off, fretting over every little thing. Olivia had to travel alone to the station where Amos and Ezekiel would meet her where they would travel the rest of the way to back together.

This was the longest Estelle and Olivia would ever be away from each other since she was "born" and Olivia would be lying if she said she wasn't a little bit emotional over it. The dread and unease pooling in her stomach didn't do any help either.

Estelle gave her a box of medicine and a capsule of tea that's supposed to help with any sickness she might have while on the ride.

Olivia took a deep breath and reassured herself. It'll be alright. It's different now.

The ride was not alright. She had to stop four times to throw up and the medication did nothing to quell her stomach.

She laid on the floor of the carriage holding her stomach, vaguely she registered the sounds coming from the back of the hell-box. She wiped a drop of sweat from her forehead and pushed herself upright on wobbly arms, the door in front of her swung up and bright light blinded her briefly.

"Goddess took you long enough—geez what happened to you?" Amos looked at her bewildered. She was sure her appearance wasn't actually noble so to say but he didn't need to be so goddamn rude about it.

Olivia did her best to glare past the lightheadedness and clammy skin. Amos walked up one step and pulled Olivia out of the car, the sudden movement caused Olivia's stomach to spur up again she dry heaved as Amos dropped her to the ground exclaiming in disgust, "Eugh! Don't you even think about it!"