What a Difference a Year Makes (Revised)

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"Novices Ashford, Belikov and Castile, and Guardians Belikov and Petrov report to Headmistress Kirova's office!" sounded over the Academy PA system.

"What the hell have we done now?" enquired Mason

"I don't know but it's not just us, it's Dimitri and Alberta too" I said a little worried.

"Come on we better get a wriggle on or they will be calling us again" grumbled Eddie.

"Novices Ashford, Belikov and Castile, and Guardians Belikov and Petrov report to Headmistress Kirova's office!"

"God give us a minute. Keen aren't they?" said Mason in a frustrated tone.

We made our way to Kirova's office and bumped into Dimitri and Alberta on the way both with puzzled looks on their faces.

"Do you three know what this is about?" Alberta questioned.

"We were about to ask you two that?" Mason countered.

We reached Kirova's office and knocked on the door. Kirova's secretary ushered us down the hall to the boardroom. I guess we are about to find out what that emergency meeting yesterday was about after all. We entered and the eyes of the governors turned, piercing us with their stares. I felt decidedly uncomfortable under their scrutiny, which I never had when I met them last after returning to the Academy with Lissa.

"It has come to our attention that a breach of the Academy's moral code has occurred" pronounced one of the board members.

We continued to look at the governors, hoping someone would go on and tell us about this 'breach' but I knew in my mind what they were going to say. I just wonder who had raised this so called breach and what the hell was the moral code?

"A letter of complaint was sent into us, signed by several prominent members of the royal families, expressing their outrage at the marriage between a guardian and a novice."

Dimitri and I both sucked in a breath and looked at each other but before either of us could speak there was a commotion outside the door.

"Where are they? Are they in here? Ah yes I can see I'm in the right place" and in strolls Abe and Pavel as if they own the place. You got to love them.

"Baba, what are you doing here?" I asked him quietly

"I heard about the governors travelling to the Academy yesterday so I decided to see what all the fuss was about and when I heard your names over the PA I knew I had been right to be here" he replied.

"Ibrahim?" a familiar voice uttered. I hadn't even seen her standing against the wall with the other guardians. "What are you doing here? I know you like to have your fingers in every pie but this is not for you."

"Janine, how nice it is to see you again" Abe said with sarcasm. "I'm here to support my daughter, which I'm guessing, you are not."

"She doesn't need supporting Abe, she has broken school rules and will be dealt with" snapped Janine.

"Ah hem" said the chair person

"Oh please continue" said Abe as if he hadn't gate crashed and started an argument with the mother of his child.

"As I was saying, expressing their outrage at the marriage between a guardian and a novice."

"I wasn't aware there was an Academy moral code, let alone that there was a breach in it" Alberta stated.