The Grandmaster's Tale

Oh, I thought. Is that what he told you?

“Boscha, among other things, oversaw a breakdown in discipline,” I told him. “He was prepared to tolerate all sorts of behaviour, from older students hexing younger students to harassing and molesting the servants. It is my intention to crack down hard on misbehaviour, particularly when it serves no useful purpose. I trust this will be acceptable to you?”

Lord Pollux scowled but nodded. The rest of the board seemed to agree.

“Then we’ll take our leave,” Lord Archibald said. I knew he was going to head home and cover his tracks, probably swearing blind he hadn’t had the slightest idea of what had been going on, but I didn’t mind. It would get him and his peers out of my way. Not for long, I was sure, but long enough to give me time to get organised. “Congratulations, Grandmaster Hasdrubal.”

“Thank you, My Lord,” I said. “I will do you proud.”

I walked the board to the edge of the wards and saw them on their way, then returned to speak briefly to my allies before heading to my room to sleep. There had been surprisingly few injuries, none of which were serious … although I convinced Madame Clover to keep Walter in the infirmary overnight despite her insistence he was shamming. He probably was, but it would cut down on the number of problems I’d have to deal with the following morning. I swept the rest of the school with the wards, adjusting them to monitor student magic. It would hopefully make it easier to cut down on bullying before the school descended into anarchy. Again.

The following morning, I summoned Walter, Adrian and Jacky to the office before breakfast, before I told the school how much had changed. Their eyes went wide when they saw me, and the missing throne, although they must have known what had happened when I’d ordered the students to the dorms, I kept my face blank, trying to hide my disgust. Walter had shamed himself in front of the entire school—and his father —while Adrian had been turned into a mouse and Jacky had apparently hidden under the bed the moment he’d realised the school was in revolt. I guessed it had worked out for him. For once, being a weaselly little bastard had been the right call.

“I won’t mince words,” I told them, bluntly. “You were bullying little bastards. You bullied and molested everyone weaker than you, until they turned around, bared their teeth, and went for your throats. You brought into the silly little conceit that an accident of breeding made you better than anyone else, because your fathers and a bunch of other powerful people made it easier for you. You don’t lack talent” —it was true— “but you have wasted it.

“Right now, your patron is gone, and your fathers are fighting for their political lives. They can’t protect you any longer, or save you from the consequences of your own actions.”

I held their eyes, one by one. “This is the one chance you get. You can better yourselves. You can take your undoubted talents and develop them. Or you can fall back into your old patterns and find yourselves expelled without further ado. One more act of bullying—of anyone—and you will be gone. Do I make myself clear?”

They nodded, hastily. I scowled and pointed at the door. I hoped they’d listen—they did have potential, if they applied themselves—but I wouldn’t shed any tears if they didn’t. I wasn’t going to invite Stephen back now either, not after he’d taken the blame and been suspended. It was a backhanded favour, I told myself. The chance to grow up apart from his toxic friends would be good for him. Even if it wasn’t … hopefully, he’d learn his lesson about allowing himself to become the fall guy. It wasn’t worth it.

I sighed, then looked down at my ever-growing list of things I needed to do—and change, after we finished clearing up the mess. It would keep the students busy for a week and give them a chance to learn some practical magic, giving me time to adjust the wards to enforce some of the new rules. No hexing younger students. No casting unbelievably embarrassing curses. No harassing or molesting the servants. No …

Someone cleared their throat. “Sir?”

I looked up, spotting Alan and Geraldine standing in the doorway. They stood very close together … a little too close. I knew what they’d been doing in the dorms, and it hadn’t involved sleeping. I hid my amusement as I motioned for them to come into the room and close the door behind them. I hoped they’d be very happy together. School romances rarely lasted long, once the students had left, but … Alan and Geraldine might be different.

“Please, take a seat,” I said. “I have a lot to do.”

“Yes, sir,” Geraldine said. “Thank you.”

Alan looked more cynical. “Did you intend to take his place?”

Geraldine elbowed him, hard. “Sir, I …”

I held up a hand. “It’s a sensible question,” I said. I would have wondered the same, if I’d been in their shoes. “And no, I hadn’t had it in mind when I started.”