A few weeks before the start of the new Academy Year in 248 A.T.C

Kaedlin sat near the long table in the servant quarters, her clawed digits deftly repairing the tear in Vita’s training tunic. Although she could have easily used a simple spell to mend the fabric, she valued keeping her manual skills sharp. It was her way of staying grounded, a means to focus her thoughts.

As her tail flicked lightly in time with her stitchwork, Kaedlin’s mind wandered to Vita. The girl’s progress was evident, yet so was her sense of isolation. Kaedlin had been doing everything she could to make Vita feel at home in the mansion, but she sensed the girl was struggling to adjust.

Kaedlin had taken Vita on walks through the gardens beyond the mansion, hoping the sight of trees and frozen blossoms would lift her spirits. She had even defied Einar’s orders, sneaking the girl out for short visits to Evenshade Beach and the Saltspray Bazaar.

“It’s important that she embraces the sun,” Kaedlin had responded when questioned, though Einar had hardly been pleased. The girl needed more than just the cold isolation of the palace.

The heavy sound of footsteps broke Kaedlin’s focus. Without needing to look up, she knew who it was—Einar’s presence was as unmistakable as the biting cold that followed him, sharper and more bitter than the icy air of the mansion itself.

"Kaedlin," Einar said, his voice flat and distant as he approached her. "Her progress on the language?"

Kaedlin kept her eyes on the fabric in her hands, not out of disrespect but because she knew how Einar despised being scrutinized too closely.

"She’s making good progress," she replied, her voice calm yet firm. "The Luminary language comes naturally to her. She's picking it up even faster than I did."

Einar’s brow furrowed slightly as his arms folded across his chest. "As expected." he replied, his tone dismissive. He stepped closer, his cold gaze lingering on the tunic in Kaedlin's lap.

"But her breath... or rather her magic, it’s still erratic. Unrefined."

Kaedlin felt her tail twitch, a subtle sign of the frustration she kept hidden. "She’s learning," she insisted, setting the tunic aside. "She’s young, but with time—"

"Pah!" Einar interrupted, his voice hardening as he turned his gaze out the window, where snowflakes swirled. "It’s not just time she lacks. Her human blood is..."

Kaedlin’s ears flicked back, and she straightened in her seat, her green eyes narrowing as she cut him off. "Don’t."

The single word was firm, a growl underlying her voice.

Einar’s mouth pressed into a thin line, and for a moment, they stood at an impasse. Kaedlin’s fur bristled beneath her cloak, her claws retracting slowly as she calmed herself. She wouldn’t allow him to finish that insult, not when the girl was trying so hard.

"She is your daughter, Einar," Kaedlin continued, her tone quieter but no less fierce. "Her human blood doesn’t make her lesser. It makes her more. That can be her strength, if you let it."

Einar looked away, a brief flash of something—guilt, perhaps, or discomfort—crossing his face before his expression returned to its usual cold detachment. Kaedlin noticed him fiddling with a necklace, a habit she had observed ever since Vita's arrival.

"Her power is still untamed," he said, brushing her words aside. "And until it’s under control, she remains here. In the palace, is that understood?"

Kaedlin knew she was overstepping, but she felt that she had to do it. "Keeping her locked away won’t give her the control you think she needs. It’ll just make her resent it. And you."

Einar’s face tightened at that, but he didn’t respond. His silence was a wall, impenetrable and frigid. Yet Kaedlin knew it well; she had served him long enough to recognize when his dismissiveness masked deeper fears.

Kaedlin stepped closer. "I know you don’t like to admit it," she said, "but you’re pushing her away. Vita needs more than arcane training. She needs you."

Einar scoffed, turning away from her, his eyes fixated on the endless snowstorm forming outside. "She needs discipline! Not coddling!"

Kaedlin felt a growl rumble low in her throat, but she held it back. "You think I’m coddling her?" she said, her voice calm but her tail swaying behind her, betraying her agitation. "No. I’m teaching her. Guiding her. You’re the one keeping her trapped."

Einar’s jaw tightened, and when he spoke again, there was an edge to his voice. "You think I’m cruel?"

"I think you’re afraid," Kaedlin replied, stepping closer still. "You’re afraid of what she represents. But you can’t punish her for your past. She’s not your failure. She’s your chance to make things right."

The cold between them grew heavy, and for a moment, Kaedlin thought he might lash out. Instead, he stood there, staring out at the snow, his silence more telling than words could ever be.After a long pause, he spoke again, his voice barely above a whisper. "How is the situation below?"

Kaedlin’s ears flicked back slightly. The shift in topic was expected, yet no less frustrating. "Stagnant," she answered, her voice cool. "But how long will it stay that way, Einar?"

His silence returned, and Kaedlin knew he would not speak of it further.

"Vita is not the threat you fear," she said quietly, picking up the tunic once more. "But if you keep her caged like this, you will turn her into something you’ll regret."

Einar didn’t reply, his cold gaze still locked on the snow outside. Kaedlin’s tail twitched in frustration, but she said nothing more. She knew there was no breaking through his icy resolve.

But then, unexpectedly...

"Fine." Einar turned to face her. "What would you have me do?"

Kaedlin seized the moment. "Have you considered my proposal?"

"I have," he replied coldly, though Kaedlin sensed a crack in his icy armor. This was her opportunity to push the subject. "Excellent, then I'll inform my cousin of Vita's arrival at the Academy."

Einar let out a long sigh, his shoulders slumping slightly. Without another word, he turned and walked away, leaving Kaedlin in the servant quarters. As the door closed behind him, she recognized it as a small victory—not just for Vita, but for Einar as well.

Maybe, just maybe... By allowing his daughter a chance at freedom, he might begin to forgive himself for the past as well...