Riah Fic chapter 1

Hi everybody!! For those of you who liked 'Rithmetic House', this is the first of several stories that will follow the characters from that. Because I do best writing multiple stories at once, I will be writing this one and Marius Fic at the same time. Once again, I need help with a title. :0) Hope you like!!

Later note: the note above is the same as before, but the chapter's a bit different - I wanted to change around Mathias' role just a bit. (Note for instance that there is no meeting with the king.)

Even later note (8/25/2011): The chapter has changed once again, as have all the others. Sorry about all the edits, but I hadn't realized how helpful it was that I'd written parts of Marius' Story once before. Riah's Story is a bit in flux just because I'm not entirely certain yet what the Muses have planned for it. Hopefully this will have been the last major edit.

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To his Royal Majesty Consort Mohira Karillre Ardkrandin-she of the Unseelie Court on the twelfth of August 2003:

You command, I obey, your Majesty.

Ever your loyal subject, Lord Mathias Greuster of the Unseelie Court

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To Most Honored Lord Mathias Greuster of the Unseelie Court on the thirteenth of August 2003:

Mathias - I realize this is not what you want, but do not think that I am simply wasting your skills. This boy may turn out to be very important.

Consort Mohira-she of the Unseelie Court

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To his Royal Majesty Consort Mohira Karillre Ardkrandin-she of the Unseelie Court on the thirteenth of August 2003:

You command, I obey, your Majesty.

Ever your loyal subject, Lord Mathias Greuster of the Unseelie Court

Mathias watched the boy run off with the letter, grimacing. Mohira was a friend, but he was also the Consort. He'd expressed his opinion too forcefully already. It was not his business to question the Royals. It was his business to obey them. Even when they're being total idiots, he thought bitterly. As if he didn't have more important things to do than escort a fifteen-year-old delinquent through school.

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Riah stepped back as the guard in front of him stopped to open the door, almost stepping on the guard behind him, who properly put a restraining hand on his shoulder.

Riah pulled away sharply, bearing teeth. “Don't touch me,” he told the man angrily.

The man let go hastily and and stepped back away, and Riah smiled grimly.

He didn't have more time to play with the nervous guard, though, as the door opened and he followed the other guard into the room. Inside was a small office, where an anxious-looking secretary sat shuffling papers in and out of piles. She looked up as they approached the desk, plastering a professional smile onto her face. A man stood in the corner, staring at him.

What's he doing here?

He looked away from the man when the secretary spoke. “Welcome to the Ritten Academy,” she told him. “What's your name, please?”

Like all of their new students came in wearing cuffs and she hadn't been expecting him all morning. And probably protesting vehemently.

Riah just stood and faced her silently, feet shoulder-width apart and hands shackled in front of him. After a moment, though, he realized that his guards weren't answering for him.

“Zachariah Mordelle,” he told the secretary cuttingly, taking the same grim pleasure in her discomfort as he had in the nervous guard's, “number thirty-two hundred-three, cell block two.”

The man in the corner was staring at him, gaze entirely focused, like he studied everything Riah did. Used to it, Riah just returned his stare, challenging him to do something. You think I'm scared of you?

“Hello Zachariah,” the man said, stepping away from the wall. “Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Lord Mathias Greuster.”

A noble? “What's it to me?” Riah asked him.

The man smiled slightly. “I am your guardian,” the man said. “I am charged with keeping you here, and preventing you from harming anyone.”

“You're my jailor,” Riah translated. The man stood like he was used to it, Riah noticed – feet shoulder-width apart and posture relaxed. Surely the man wasn't military? Noble, he reminded himself. No way a noble joins the army. Still, the man almost acted like it. And now he's guarding me...Who was this guy? My jailor, he reminded himself. That's all that matters.

“As you like,” 'Lord Mathias Greuster' answered, seemingly unaffected. “Certainly I wouldn't attempt to leave, were I you.”

Oookay, Riah thought, that was a threat. “Subtle,” he told the man, noticing and dismissing the confidence in the man's tone. It was very unlikely that the man could back up his words.

The man's joyless smile was not at all reassuring. “I have no need to be,” he informed him. “This entire arrangement is unprecedented, and as such the only things dictating my behavior are the man who gave me the assignment and my own conscience. I can threaten, and act on those threats, as I like.”

Right. So maybe he did have the ability. Politically, if not in magic. Or maybe not. He's here alone. What can he do to me that hasn't already been done?

“Nonetheless,” the man continued, matter-of-fact, “you should see this for the opportunity it is. You have the chance to get your education here, the finest available in Rhodera by some lights. The crown offers you a gift, if you would take it as such.”

Uh huh. “Are you a 'gift', too?” Riah asked him cynically.

The man met his eyes neutrally. “In some ways, yes. I could equally have been asked to build appropriate accommodations for you, accommodations which would prevent you from escaping or hurting any of your fellows, but that option would confine you to a six by eight foot cell with neither yard time nor companionship, and it was decided that that would be inhumane. I'm sure that it can still be arranged, however, if you would prefer. Certainly it would make my life easier.”

Riah just stared at the man, not backing down.

“Allow me to make some things abundantly clear,” the man finally said, fixing Riah with a cold stare. “I know who you are, and what you have done. It is my job to keep you here, and to keep those around you safe. I had no desire to be given this assignment, and was given no orders as to how to proceed with it. I am also fully capable of controlling every action you might decide to take.” He smiled aggressively. “To conclude, I would not make my life difficult, if I were you. Understood?”

Riah smiled, showing teeth. “I'll be good,” he told the man.

“You will,” Lord Greuster agreed.

Still not allowing himself to be intimidated by the determined confidence in the man's tone, Riah lifted his chin, meeting the man's gaze unflinchingly. Bring it.

“My Lord Greuster,” the secretary broke in hesitantly. “A-are we sticking with the plan to have him in lessons?”

“Yes,” he told her shortly, not looking away from Riah. “Have you had magical training before?” he asked him.

Riah just stared at him. Lessons? He'd thought he'd just been at the school 'cause his new jailor hadn't wanted to hang out at the prison, but apparently the man was serious about the education thing.

“Very well,” the man said, sounding indifferent. “Just put him in the beginner program.”

“I can brew,” Riah told him, finally catching up. “Some.”

“We'll promote you, if you do well,” the secretary offered. Strangely enough, she actually sounded genuine.

If I do well? Riah thought suddenly. How could he possibly do well? He was the school's resident inmate. He'd be surprised if they even let him touch the materials. Not that this secretary seemed to realize that. Idiot.

“Fine,” he told her.

“Thank you, Mrs. Wimberton,” Lord Greuster said.

“You're welcome,” the secretary replied. “If you don't mind, I've a moment free to show you to the boy's dormitory...”

“Thank you, but that will not be necessary,” Lord Greuster told her. “I do know the layout of the school.”

“Of course,” Mrs. Wimberton said. “His first class is Rituals, with Master Tirdan. Mr. Jogden is expecting him in the dormitory, and there will also be a boy there in fifteen minutes to take him to his classes.”

“Thank you,” Lord Greuster said, before turning in place to face the two guards. “Release him,” he said abruptly.

“My Lord Greuster-” the nervous guard protested. Lord Greuster just met his eyes, and the man cut off. “Yes, sir. Sorry, sir,” he said instead, moving in front of Riah and pulling out a key ring. Riah offered him his cuffs, feeling strange. He didn't wear them in his cell, but he was out. Come on, Riah. You couldn't expect that you'd be wearing them all the time. It felt strange anyway, though, and Riah looked down at his wrists, rubbing at them distractedly.

The guard had pulled away jerkily as soon as Riah was uncuffed, and Riah looked up to grin at him again.

“If I were going to kill a guard, I'd've done it already,” he told the man.

The man stiffened, and Riah grinned wider until he realized that his 'guardian' was watching him again.

He met the man's eyes in challenge. “Got a problem?” he asked him.

The man ignored him in favor of turning back to his guards. “You're dismissed,” he told them.

“Thank you, sir,” the other guard said. Both bowed, and left.

“Thank you for your help, Mrs. Wimberton,” the man said next. “We'll be going now.”

“Yes, of course, sir. Enjoy the day.”

The man made a noncommittal grunt, before turning back to Riah. “Come, boy,” he said brusquely.

He turned and headed past the secretary's desk and opened a door that led deeper into the building. With a last look to make sure Riah was following, he headed out.

Not knowing what else to do, Riah followed him, falling in behind before the man slowed to keep him alongside. He led him across a broad hallway and through a doorway to a stairwell and an exit to the building. Continuing outside, he led Riah onto a gravel path lined with simple gardens and large shade trees.

Strangely, the man just walked beside him impassively, apparently not feeling the same need to keep a hand on him as the guards did. He just watched, and made sure Riah knew he watched. Riah had made guards and prisoners nervous since it had got out that he'd killed using magic. It was one of the few things that kept him safe there, as physically he was puny compared to most of them. The fact that Lord Greuster wasn't nervous was not a good sign. Or maybe he's just stupid?

Having the man walk beside him was strangely uncomfortable, too. He wasn't used to it. Guards don't do that, Riah realized. Nobody'd walked beside him in more than a year. But Lord Greuster did, and as if he'd never considered anything else. He's not a guard, Riah reminded himself. No prison could ever afford him. He contained a snort. Right. Afford him. Nobles don't work. Except this one apparently did.

Riah smiled. I guess I'm just that important. He hadn't gotten this much attention since his trial. Why this guy, though? Surely there were other witches available, ones who didn't hold noble titles? Maybe they're not strong enough? That would mean this guy was.

He probably is, Riah realized finally. It was the only reason the Rhoderan government would decide Riah was safer in a school than in a high-security prison. Shit.

“You may wish to pay attention to your surroundings,” the man said suddenly, tone cool. “I will not escort you a second time.”

Distracted from his thoughts, Riah realized that they were a little way down the gravel path from the building they'd come out of, and that nastily as the advice had been given the man was correct that he'd do well to learn as much of the school as he could. They'd turned off of the path with the trees and on to one with large gardens on either side, ones designed for practicality, with plants in rows, rather than arranged to look nice. Behind him and to the left was the building he'd come out of, and the main entrance to the school. Not that I'll ever be going back through it, probably.

“These are the Beginner track Herblore and Brewing gardens,” the man said. “As one of the older beginning students you will be expected to help maintain them.” He gestured, and Riah realized that there was a young girl kneeling in one row, staking up what looked like tomato plants. She seemed totally involved in her task, and didn't look up as they walked by.

It was a pretty grand place, Riah realized, even if they did put their students to work. The building they'd left was huge, at least three stories of pink stone walls and enormous glass windows. The gravel path split, leading to two almost identical buildings of the same pink stone in front of them, and another set of identical buildings to the right. They turned right, to where the path led between two buildings.

“The building on your right is the Beginner-track boy's dormitory. Your language and history lessons will be in the General Studies building on the right. The rest will be in that same complex. It is easiest to access it through the General Studies building.”

Riah listened absently, but his mind worked fast. Lessons. Did they really mean to put him in with a bunch of normal kids? No, Riah, he thought. They mean to give you a private tutor. But who put a convicted murderer in a classroom of comparatively innocent teenagers? I guess they figure they've already got me well enough neutered with M'Lord Greuster around, he realized. The man could probably squash him with a thought, and as they approached the dormitory he continued to watch Riah like he was going to suddenly pull out an ax and go on rampage.

“I'm not gonna do anything,” he told the man hostilely, irritated by the man's attitude.

“My orders are to make sure of that,” the man replied coldly, before stopping and turning to meet Riah's eyes darkly. “Come to that,” he said sharply, “you share the dormitory with both older and younger students. You give the latter so much as a wrong look and you will very much regret it. If you must associate with other students, you would be well advised to do so with the older.”

Riah stared into the man's eyes, feeling his heartbeat pick up at the coldness in the man's face and tone. The message was clear. If I so much as step on a kid's foot, I'm dead. "I killed an adult, okay?" he told the man angrily. "I'm not going to hurt a couple of helpless children."

The man nodded slightly. "We'll see," he said.

Why do I bother? Riah thought bitterly. This was going to be great.

Better than prison, he told himself.

Mathias watched the boy, looking for any sign of trouble, but the boy gave none, just followed him into the building and up the stairs and walked into a small common room, furnished with benches with cheap sawdust-filled cushions and a few somewhat nicer couches. There was a thin middle-aged man on one of the nicer ones, presumably the 'Mr. Jogden' that they were to meet. The man stood as they entered, looking at the boy with distinct dislike before smiling ingratiatingly at him.

“Ah!” the man said jocularly, “you must be Lord Mathias Greuster. Welcome!”

So that's how it is going to be, Mathias thought, sneering down at the man. Lovely. “The boy's accommodations?” he asked impatiently, allowing his annoyance to seep into the two words.

“Are ready, of course!” the man said hastily. “But my Lord – my instructions did not include accommodations for you-”

“I have a home on campus, and an office downstairs,” Mathias informed him coldly.

“But the boy, he-”

Idiot. Mathias just gave him a superior look and the man stopped. “I was not moved from my normal duties and sent here in order to stand around and look pretty, Mr. Jogden,” he told the man, annoyed. “You and your students are perfectly safe.” He looked at Zachariah as he said it, and as before the boy met his eyes in overt challenge. Mathias stared back calmly, unimpressed.

Mr. Jogden was impressed, though. The guards had been, too. Everybody who'd ever met the boy feared for their lives, and for good reason. The boy could probably level a small building if he put his mind to it. And Mathias himself was probably the first person the boy had met who could stop him. It was really no wonder the boy didn't realize just how outclassed he really was. He'll learn, he thought.

“Put the boy in a single, then, if you must,” he told the excitable man, “but do not presume to think that it is your job to guard him. If anything, consider it your job to teach him. That aspect interests me very little.”

“B-but sir!” The man whined, darting quick, terrified glances at the boy, who gave him a mockingly aggressive smile back. “How are we to control him? A convicted criminal – a murderer!-”

“Come to me if he hurts somebody or breaks the law,” Mathias cut in firmly. “Otherwise, it's your problem.”

The man looked like he would protest again, but Mathias interrupted him before he got a chance. “If you would show us to the boy's chambers,” he told him.

Stupid man. How somebody this useless thought he was going to keep himself safe from the boy if he couldn't was beyond him.

His tone must have been a bit sharper than he'd meant, because the man whitened. “Y-yes of course, M'lord,” the man said, full attention suddenly on Mathias. “If you would just come this way, sir.”

He walked down a hallway, and Mathias followed him, leaving his newest and least welcome duty to catch up behind them.

Riah watched the two men, smiling slightly as the clearly terrified dorm 'father' stuttered and gaped his way through the conversation. His reaction to Riah was entertaining, but his reaction 'M'lord Greuster' was even more interesting. If Riah scared the man, His Arrogance clearly terrified him. Did Mr. Jogden know something about him that Riah didn't, or was he just impressed by the rank?

But they were getting ahead of him, now, ostensibly heading towards Riah's new “chambers.” He smiled cynically. Barlin City Correctional called them “rooms”. It meant the same thing.

His new cell proved to be a real improvement on the old, though. As 'M'Lord Greuster' had guessed, he'd been given a single, and the bed was a real twin with a real mattress and sheets. Other than that, it was about the same – twin bed, small desk, trunk, bars on the already-small window. The bars were new, he noticed – it was likely that the real students' rooms didn't have them. M'Lord Greuster noticed them, too, he noticed – the man lad a hand on them, frowning, before turning back to the room, and exiting the way he came in. He didn't even order Riah to follow, but he found himself following anyway, unsure what he was supposed to do. After a moment his jailor turned, frowning.

“Your presence is not needed for this and I have work to do. Go...elsewhere.”

The man resumed walking, and this time Riah stayed behind, feeling a bit at a loss. What now? His new guardian didn't seem particularly interested in what Riah did. Or anything else, for that matter. Apparently, as long as he didn't leave the school, break the law, or hurt someone, he could whatever the hell he wanted to. There wasn't a person in the world who would care. I suppose that's a good thing?

He sat on the bed, staring around him, but suddenly a head appeared in his open doorway, followed by the rest of a dumpy-looking, dark-haired boy.

“Hey,” the boy said before Riah said anything. “You the new kid? I'm Bat. I'm supposed to show you around.”

“Bat?” Riah questioned. What the hell kind of a name is that?

The boy winced. “Lord Sebastian J. Thomisson the sixth, at your service,” he said, extending a hand.

I'm supposed to shake it, Riah remembered. It had been awhile. “Zachariah Mordelle,” he answered a moment too late, accepting the hand. “Riah.”

Bat was silent, and he didn't release his hand right away. After a moment, Riah realized what he was staring at. Whoops. He should have expected it. At Barlin, nobody was surprised to see them, but outside in the 'world' the three stark black lines around each of his wrists were as unmistakable as they were inexcusable. Right. I don't get to make friends.

“Like what you see?” Riah asked him rudely.

The boy didn't seem to notice. “Where'd you transfer in from?” he asked him, finally dropping his hand.

“Barlin City Correctional,” Riah told him bluntly, standing up straight and meeting the other boy's eyes.

“That would explain the mur- prison tats,” the kid admitted, frowning thoughtfully.

Riah smiled grimly. Don't hurt yourself, kid. “I thought the correlation went the other way, actually.”

To his surprise, Bat gave him a crooked smile back. “Chicken and egg, really,” he said.

No it's...really not. Unsure how to react, Riah frowned. “If you say so. You still game to show me around?”

Bat's smile didn't fade. “Sure,” he said, shrugging. “You're more interesting that most newbies. You in beginner track?”

“Yeah, I think so,” Riah told him. “I think they said I should go to Rituals first?”

“You don't have the same first than me, then, but I know where it is anyway,” Bat said. “Come on.”

Looking back briefly to see if his 'guardian' would reappear, Riah followed Bat from the room.

A/N: That's it!! Hope you liked!!