Emily Hayes

Dawn on the tenth day since the apprenticeship began, in the meditation hall of the Temple of Radia. Incense smoke rises all the way to the ceiling, and the worn wooden floor swallows the sound of footsteps. The ones who always take their places first, before the dawn bell rings, are the same two: you, and Emily, who has neatly folded her cloak embroidered with her noble family's crest. Word has already spread among the apprentices that at last evening's doctrine recitation exam, you recited one more line than she did. Since then, Emily hasn't met your eyes. But this dawn, she sets a prayer book down on the cushion beside you. Its corners are worn, and every margin is crammed with commentary in tiny handwriting. There are still a few minutes left before the bell rings.