The Exchange Teacher - Welcome to Dyntril Academy

Move into my room? What the hell did I just say?

Both of them lay frozen in Natt's bed. Basque's heart thundered in his chest. He stayed silent. He wanted her to say yes. He wanted her to say no. If he said anything else, he knew he would push her in one direction, but was scared of both answers. So, he said nothing.

"You…want me to move in with you?"

Basque just looked at her. She still hadn't said yes or no, so he still wasn't going to say anything.

Her stare continued, and his heart refused to settle. "Basque, I…"

"Yeah, you're right, I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking."

She continued to look at him. As the silence stretched, Basque felt more and more uncomfortable.

"Well…it's…umm…the students will be getting up soon, so I should…umm. Thanks for comforting me." Basque got out of her bed and put his robes back on.

Natt went from leaning on her arm to sitting up. The blanket covered her legs and rested just below her taut stomach. She didn't cover herself with her finely toned arms, leaving herself bare, and Basque couldn't help admiring her beauty again.

Her one good eye followed his every movement. She wasn't wearing her eye patch. The sunken flesh that covered her empty eye socket was black, like the three scars that stretched from it to her ear. Her expression was unreadable. Basque had no idea what else to say, so he just said, "See you at the staff meeting."

She didn't respond.

As he closed the door, he checked the clock on his interface. He had fifteen minutes before his class would show up at the training grounds. For the first time since coming to Kruami, he missed showers. The baths were nice, but he missed the quick convenience of a shower.

Lacking that option, he rushed back to his room.

"Move into my room"?

"Move into my room"!

Stupid!

Stupid!

He'd known the woman for just under two months, hated her for most of it, been intimate twi—three times, and "Move into my room."? He hated the fact that she didn't immediately say yes the most.

What would Rakelle say? He didn't need to ask. He could hear her mocking laughter in his head already.

Through doors, down stairs, across halls, up stairs, through doors, and he was back to "Move into my room." Basque slapped then rubbed his forehead. Maybe lightning would strike him before the morning staff meeting.

As he crossed through the audience room, he undid the sashes on his robes. He tossed them into the bathroom when he passed, then grabbed some exercise robes. After putting them on, he left his room in a rush, as if staying in there would remind him of making a fool of himself.

"Move int—"

"Stop!" he yelled at himself as he ran downstairs. He needed to concentrate on other things, like what he was going to say to Reianna, what he was going to do with Reianna. How to save Reianna. His moronic foibles with romance were the last thing he needed to think about.

Servants going about their morning tasks froze in place; Basque blushed, smiled, and ducked his head before scurrying down the hallway. Instead of heading back to his room, he headed for the training grounds. Movement. He needed movement—activity would clear his mind.

Normally, as he waited for his students, he just waited, but today, he needed motion. He was in the middle of his fifth rotation of his body-weight exercise routine when his students finally came out to the training ground. Basque didn't stop, didn't say anything to his class; he just kept exercising.

In return, his class also said nothing to him. Without hesitation, his students ran onto the training ground and joined in his routine.

There, in her pod, inconspicuous and unassuming, Reianna went through the motions with everyone else. She wasn't wearing her glasses. It was such a large sign. How had he missed it?

She avoided his gaze. It wasn't obvious that she was, but her not meeting his gaze was proof enough; she knew he knew. He'd failed to protect her from Banca, but he wouldn't fail her again. He would protect her from the upcoming inquisition.

Around the third set the students had joined in on, several of them stopped and just stood there. Slowly, more and more of them stopped moving until only about half of them continued the exercises. The ones who had stopped were looking behind Basque.

Curious, Basque stopped as well and looked behind him. Two noble girls stood on the other side of the fence. One had long butterscotch hair that she wore in woven pigtails. The other had teal hair that she wore in a simple ponytail. They both wore their gym uniforms.

At last, all the other Class E students stopped their exercises and stared at the two noble girls. The butterscotch girl fidgeted under their gazes. The teal girl reached out and grabbed the hem of the butterscotch girl's shirt.

"Miss Emmah? Miss Zophiah?" Basque couldn't understand what the daughters of a viscountess and a baron from Class C were doing out on the training grounds at that hour. "Can I help you with something?"

"Umm…" Emmah said. "We…we wanted—well—"

"I invited them," Reianna said.

Basque spun around and looked at the silver-haired girl. She invited them? He couldn't keep the smile off his face as he stood up straighter. Turning back to the two Class C students, Basque asked, "So you'd like to join us?"

Emmah nodded. "If that's okay."

"It's not!" Kyre said.

"Fuck off!" Taraia followed up.

"I agree, they should leave," Saevi added.

The number of students nodding in agreement outnumbered those who didn't. Basque turned his attention to Avae. Emmah had broken her arm, then attacked her mercilessly for the following minute.

However, Avae didn't say anything. She didn't nod in agreement. She didn't even look at the noble children. She just stared at Reianna. For her part, Reianna frowned at Kyre, Taraia, and Saevi.

"Sorry to disturb," Emmah said and turned to leave.

Avae bolted out of her spot in the class and ran to the edge of the training field. "Wait!"

The noble girls stopped and looked back at Avae.

"Do you recognize me?"

Emmah nodded. "You were my opponent in the tournament, Miss Avae."

Avae extended her right hand, the arm that had been splintered. "Nice to meet you."

Glancing down at the extended hand, then back up to Avae's blank expression, Emmah took a step closer. Zophiah pulled her back with the hem of her shirt. Emmah looked over her shoulder at the teal-haired girl. "Zofy."

Zophiah let go of Emmah's shirt. The butterscotch girl closed the distance between her and Avae. She took Avae's offered hand. "I'm Emmah."

Holding on tight to Emmah's hand, Avae pulled hard until Emmah ran into the training field's barrier. She didn't stop; she kept pulling, forcing Emmah to climb over the barrier.

Once over, the butterscotch girl stumbled and fell forward. Avae helped her stop her momentum, so the girl never fell to the ground. After Emmah regained her balance, Avae looked at the remaining noble. "Well, are you going to join or not?"

That prompted Zophiah to spring into action, and she scrambled over the barrier.

"Just grab a spot in the back. Follow and do what you can. Don't ask me for help." Letting go of Emmah's hand, Avae turned to return to her spot.

"Thank you, Miss Avae."

Spinning on her heels, Avae pointed a finger at Emmah. "Don't call me 'miss'. I don't want to be a noble." She lowered her hand. "Just so you know, I don't like you. I trust Reianna, and she invited you. So, don't talk to me, just…go over there."

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Avae didn't wait for a reply and went back to her spot. She sent Emmah one last glare before turning to Reianna and smiling.

Reianna nodded at her. The two nobles went to the back of the class. No one objected to their presence any longer, nor did they acknowledge it. Basque was fine with that. They'd initially treated each other the same way. Time would tell what would happen between his class and the other nobles. He would be monitoring the situation, though. He wasn't about to have a repeat of what had happened to Reianna. Nor would he let his students wrong others in reverse.

After clapping once, Basque said, "Okay! We've got two more sets, then we're going for a 5k jog followed by a one-kilometer sprint-slows."

"Fifties or one hundreds?" Savei asked.

"One hundred-meter sprints followed by a one hundred-meter jog. Repeating for a kilometer," Basque clarified for the two new girls.

As Basque went through the next set of exercises, he narrated his movements for the first time in weeks. Since his class knew the routines by heart now, he'd stopped narrating, but the new girls didn't know what to do, so he guided them through the routine. To make sure they didn't fall too far behind or get too confused, Basque watched them go through the progression.

Both of them did well. Comparing Emmah and Zophiah to his class at the beginning of the school year, the noble children were much better. Comparing them to Class E now, however, the two weren't nearly as fluid, as quick, or as strong as the top quarter of his class.

After they finished the final two sets, Basque clapped his hands.

"Reianna, with me." He pointed at her.

"Jame, take point." He pointed at him.

"Miss Emmah, pace with Medow. She's the girl with mint hair. Miss Zophiah, pace with Braelyne. She's the one with maroon hair," he said, and pointed to each girl in turn.

"5k, go!"

Jame ran out of the training field and into the pastures beyond. The other students filled in, and the two new girls went to run with their assigned partners. Reianna stood in her spot with her arms down by her side. She looked at Basque with her blank expression.

"Are you okay for a run today, Reianna?"

She nodded.

"You can rest more if—"

"I'm fine, thank you."

Basque nodded to her and ran out into the pastures. Reianna fell in behind him. Keeping a pace that would hold the distance between them and his class in front of them, Basque stayed silent for the first kilometer. Reianna also said nothing.

As he ran, his mind went back to how to save the girl. He glanced over his shoulder at the silver-haired girl. "Come up next to me."

Reianna picked up her pace until she was next to him, then slowed back down. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry, Reianna."

She narrowed her eyes. "Sorry about what?"

"I didn't protect you."

"From what?"

"Banca."

Reianna stopped. Basque ran ahead for a few steps before he realized and spun around. When he was arms-length from her again, he stopped. Her head drooped.

"How…"

"I was suspicious, so I forced Miss Cormick to tell me." Reianna didn't need to know that Cayelyn had told him. He didn't want to put a strain on their relationship. Putting the responsibility on the adult who should have told him was what Reianna needed to believe.

Her eyes stayed on the ground next to Basque's feet. "You never promised."

Basque's heart twisted.

"When I asked you to promise to protect me, you told me you couldn't, that you could only promise to teach me how to protect myself."

At last, she looked up at him. "I was the one who didn't tell you."

He felt like crying again. She was too young to be so old.

Reianna's eyes fell to the ground again. "Are you mad at me?"

He shook his head. "Why would I be?"

"Because I hid it from you and lied to you."

Basque put his hand on her shoulder. "No. I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at myself for not being dependable enough for you to be able to tell me."

Taking a step forward, Reianna wrapped her arms around him and pressed her head into his abdomen. "Don't leave us."

He put his arms around her. "I leave here when you leave here."

"Promise?"

Basque paused. His heart wanted to say yes without hesitation, but his mind knew that politics were never that easy.

The grip around his waist tightened. Reianna pressed her face into him harder. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "That wasn't fair of me."

He tightened his grip around her. "No. I promise to do everything in my power to stay with you. Some things are out of my control, but everything in my control, I will do to stay with you."

He rubbed her back. "I won't explode on anyone. I won't Yani-out. You don't have to worry about that. Miss Cormick will help me see to that."

Reianna pulled away from him. "I like her. Don't hate her for keeping it from you."

Basque smiled. "You don't need to worry about that." She's going to be the one hating me. "Move into my room?!"

Giving her a slight push on the shoulder, he said, "Come on. We're falling too far behind."

Once more, they ran in silence. Basque knew he was distracting himself from the major issue of Reianna by focusing on the minor, embarrassing problem with Natt. He knew himself well enough. He procrastinated when he was at a loss.

It was a personal flaw that he'd tried working on, but like all major problems in his life, he kept putting it off. Still, he didn't have to bring it up now. The inquisition wouldn't happen today, and that night, they were going to eat dinner with the Tinkerers.

"Okay, Reia—" Basque hit a divot in the ground, and it made his breath jump, cutting his words off.

"Did you just call me Reia?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."

"No, it's okay, that's what my parents call me. I like it."

"Do you want me to call you that?"

She ran in silence for two seconds. "Yes."

"Okay, but only when no one else is around."

After that, Basque let the silence settle again before getting back to his main point. "We should go take the lead. Last one there pours Symantha's wine. Go!"

Shooting out at a sprint, Basque took off towards the class in the distance. Reianna was fast, but she was still only twelve, and her legs were still short. She didn't stand a chance. By the time Basque nestled himself into the lead at the front of the class, she'd just reached the end.

Reianna continued until she was up front with him. "That was cheating. You did the count! I wasn't ready!"

"Sounds like Symantha isn't the only one getting some whine today."

"Ha, ha," Reianna said.

"Take the lead," he told her, and slowed his pace. Reianna kept going ahead. The class passed him by, and once Emmah pulled up even with him, Basque matched her pace.

She and Medow ran side-by-side without a word. Emmah's breathing was a bit faster than his mint-haired student's. "How are you holding up, Miss Emmah?"

"Fine, sir."

"Do you run often in Master Stevn's class?"

"No, sir."

"Mostly drills?"

"Yes, sir."

"What sort of drills?"

Medow's eyes flickered over to the noble running next to her.

"Standard drills, sir."

"Any in particular that you are good at?"

"Staffs, sir."

Medow's head turned to look at the girl.

"Anything in particular?"

"Spinning, sir."

"Hey!" Medow said. "Can't you give him more than that?"

"What else do you want me to say?"

"I don't know? Explain the training in more detail. What exactly did you do?"

Emmah turned her head to look at Medow. "Just standard stuff."

"Like with core machines?"

"What machines?"

"You know, the ball launcher thingies."

"No…?"

The two girls continued to chat. The hardness in Medow's voice softened as they spoke. She explained what core machines were in more detail, and Emmah just shook her head with wide eyes.

"Why don't you come to the training grounds after class? My squad and I will be out there practicing. I'll show you how to do it."

"That sounds great! Can…can I bring Zophiah with me?"

"Sure! We'll have enough machines."

Basque slowed his pace and let more students pass him by. Braelyne and Zophiah were already chatting when Basque pulled up next to them.

"So, you weren't in with the food flinging fucks?" Braelyne asked Zophiah.

Zophiah blushed at Braelyne's language. "No. Emmah and I skipped it. We thought it was kinda Yani."

Braelyne laughed once. "Yeah. It was. I missed out, too. My pod was already sitting somewhere else."

"I'm glad you weren't hit, but at least it was just food."

"Just food?!" Xav said. "I was one of those hit with 'just food.' Ignoring that they also threw the bowls, the worst was the food! I would have been happier pelted by empty bowls. How could you do that with food?"

"That's what got me the most, too," Kamron said and nodded.

"Guys, fire from work. She's doctor's note," Braelyne said.

"I'm not going to drop it! And I don't care that she wasn't there. She needs to know what a sin wasting food like that is!" Xav said.

Kamron nodded with Xav's comment, and Basque noticed several other students nodding in agreement. Basque opened his mouth to intervene, but Zophiah said, "I'm sorry. That was insensitive of me."

Braelyne spared a glance at the teal-haired girl. "Most of us grew up eating one meal a day."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"Nah, no drenching. You didn't know us. You've lived a different life. Xav, momma's got the pigs back?"

"Yeah. We're good," he answered.

Basque's heart swelled as he listened to Braelyne work to maintain the peace. More than that, she was trying to make sure Zophiah still felt welcome.

"'No drenching'? 'Momma's got the pigs back?' I feel that I don't understand half of what you say," Zophiah said.

"Ah. Was that street? No drenching means don't worry."

Zophia's eyes were wide. "Street?! Can you teach me?"

Running next to them, Kamron laughed.

Braelyne's gaze shifted to him. "What?"

"Miss Zophia, you don't want to learn Braelyne's street."

His eyes still locked on Kamron, Braelyne asked, "And why not?"

"You talk funny."

Basque smiled to himself. Welcoming the noble girls had been a new problem, but it turned out to be an easy problem. His class was filled with students who had nothing but the biggest of hearts. Their initial reaction had been knee-jerk. The prejudice went both ways. As he thought, all they needed was a chance to get to know each other.

Problems like that were in his wheelhouse. If only all his problems could be so simple. Even if he got the solution wrong, it didn't wind up with a child being dissected for "science". His eyes looked at the front of the line. What the Yani am I going to do about that?