It was the third class of the day and it was finally Advanced Math. Luna's best subject. Mr Edwin was teaching Vectors. He wrote a problem on the board and said, "Who can solve this?"
Before Sterling could raise his hand, Luna's was already up. Mr Edwin called her out. She solved it in under two minutes, chalk dust on her blazer.
Mr Edwin blinked. "Name, Miss…?"
"Luna. Luna Percival." She didn't look at him. She looked at Sterling.
He was studying his textbook like it had personally offended him.
"Take a seat, Miss Percival." Mr Edwin sounded pleased. Sterling looked murderous.
For the rest of the lesson, any time Mr Edwin asked a question, Luna's hand was first. She answered them all correctly. Mr Edwin was delighted. Sterling wasn't. He didn't raise his hand once. Just wrote in his notebook, jaw tight.
---
It was finally lunch. Luna and Mara went to the dining hall. They were chattering over roast chicken when a girl bumped into Luna, hard.
"Excuse you," the girl snapped.
Luna stared, flabbergasted. "Excuse _me_? You bumped into me."
"Can't you see?" she asked, flicking her hair. _RICHARD — HOUSE SAPPHIRE — YR 12_ was stitched on her blazer.
"I'm the one who should ask you that," Luna said, still shocked.
"You just want attention. That's how you got Sterling's attention."
Luna frowned. "Um, what are you talking about?"
"You know what I'm talking about, you slut."
Before Luna could retort, Mara grabbed her wrist and dragged her out of the hall.
"What are you doing?" Luna hissed once they were in the corridor.
"That's Evelyn Richard," Mara whispered. "One of Sterling's biggest fangirls. Her father's a marquis. You don't want to get on her bad side."
"Oh. Well, my father's a duke." Luna shrugged.
Mara's eyes bulged. "What?"
"This is the loudest I've ever heard you. Wow."
"Your— your father's a duke?"
"Yeah."
"You don't behave like one."
"I don't really care about that."
"Okay." Mara exhaled. "But Evelyn does. Be careful."
---
After lunch was horseback riding. Combined Year 12 and Year 13. One of the activities Luna stunk at.
Mr Fredrickson, the riding instructor, assigned each student a horse. Luna was battling to get on hers while Mara sat easily on her own.
"Luna, what's wrong?" Mara asked, concerned.
"I stink at horse riding," Luna muttered.
"It would help if you weren't so— um— aggressive. Be gentle and your horse will trust you."
"Okay." Luna tried to caress her horse gently. The horse let her. She slowly hopped on and started riding, slow and steady.
"I'm doing it," she laughed, breathless.
"Haven't you ridden a horse before?" Mara asked.
"I always ditched riding lessons to solve math."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah. I like maths."
Both of them giggled, riding side by side.
Evelyn glared at them from a distance. Something sinister flashed in her eyes. She urged her horse into a gallop toward them and, as she passed, threw a small stone. It hit Luna's horse on the flank.
The horse spooked and bolted at full speed.
Luna couldn't control it. It went haywire. Students scattered out of the way.
Sterling was on his horse near the fence. He didn't move. Didn't shout. Just watched. His face gave nothing away.
Mr Fredrickson saw it instantly. "Everyone back!" he barked, kicking his horse into a gallop.
The horse threw Luna off its back.
_So this is how I die?_ Luna thought, and closed her eyes.
Death didn't come. Arms did. Solid, sure. They caught her mid-air like she weighed nothing.
For one stupid second, she thought— _Sterling?_
She opened her eyes.
Dark blue. Not Sterling's grey.
Cassian. Holding her.
"Are you alright, Miss Percival?" His voice was calm. Not sharp. Not mean. _Safe_.
"I—" Her throat was dry. "Thank you. Cassian."
He set her down gently. "You're unharmed. Good."
Meribel rushed over on her horse, skidding to a stop. She slid down, eyes wide. She curtsied, quick and practiced. "Thank you, Prince Cassian," she said, voice loud enough for the Year 13s nearby to hear.
Mara pulled her horse up short beside them, reins tight in her hands. "Luna!" she called, still mounted. "Are you hurt?"
Cassian nodded once at both of them, then mounted his horse in one smooth motion. He was gone before Mr Fredrickson even reached them.
Mr Fredrickson reined his horse to a skidding stop beside Luna, breathing hard. "Miss Percival!" He slid off and crouched in front of her. "Any pain? Can you move your arms for me? Your legs?" His hands hovered, checking without touching. "I need you in the infirmary. Now."
"I'm fine," Luna said, still dazed. "Really."
"Infirmary," Mr Fredrickson repeated, firm but not unkind. He glanced at the spot where Cassian had been. "That was quick reflexes from Aldermere." Then to Luna: "But I'm still checking you myself."
Mara dismounted quickly and ran the last few steps to Luna's side. "Gods, Luna—"
Meribel grabbed Luna's arm and dragged her away before Mara could touch her. They stopped where no one could hear.
"What was that?" Meribel demanded.
"Um, I didn't make the horse go haywire," Luna said.
"Not that. I mean why would _Cassian_ help you?" Meribel's eyes narrowed. "You must have—"
"You know people will call you a sycophant for calling him 'Prince Cassian'," Luna cut in. "We don't use titles here."
Meribel's cheeks went pink. "Whatever. Just don't embarrass us again."
She turned to leave, then stopped. She didn't look back when she said it, voice barely a whisper: "It's good you are okay."
Luna stood there, dazed. Mr Fredrickson was already waving over two grounds workers who'd been raking near the stables. "Jensen, Hal. Escort Miss Percival to the infirmary. Carefully." Mara hovered at her side, looking like she wanted to hug her but didn't know if she was allowed.
She wondered the same thing.
Why _did_ Cassian save her?
And why, for one stupid second, had she thought _Sterling_?