I know I teased the Princess visit for this chapter, but I was writing this happened. So... princess will be coming next chapter.

Also, long ago, I used to be able to check the profile of everyone who favorited, followed, or reviewed. But everything changed when y'all blew up my inbox. XD I stopped somewhere at the 400 something mark for this story alone. I am truly honored.

Aang was sitting on his and Louise's shared bed, legs crossed, looking down in shame. This was the second time in two days that he had been dragged to Louise's room, but this time, he knew he was in trouble.

Louise was pacing back and forth. Occasionally, she would stop, look at him, and then resume her pacing. Her mouth opened and closed as she was struggled to find the correct words to express herself.

Finally, Aang grew tired of the tense silence. While he could meditate to spend the time, he felt that would be disrespectful. "Would it help if I said I'm sorry?" he offered.

"No," Louise immediately snapped. Then her face softened. "Yes, I mean—ugh! Why couldn't you just listen?"

"I was trying," Aang answered meekly.

He had been vigilantly keeping his power to a minimum at the start of the duel, but then his childish self had reared its innocent head. There had been no reason to split open the courtyard to beat the golems. Using evasion and standard earthbending would have gotten the job done eventually. Aang had gotten excited, lost control, and ended up revealing too much about his abilities. He hadn't had this much trouble restraining himself since… well, since he was a child. In fact, even when he was traveling across the world he hadn't suffered in control unless his emotions were unstable.

Louise took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. Turning to face Aang fully, she was now the perfect image of tranquility. "I am very disappointed in you," she stated plainly.

Aang couldn't help but wince. He had acted like a child, and now he was being scolded like one. It stung his pride, but he knew he deserved it. "I know," he responded, keeping his head bowed. "I'll make sure not to do it again."

The intensity of Louise's stare bore into Aang's bald, tattooed head. Eventually, the girl sighed. "Raise your head," she ordered. "I think you've learned your lesson, so I'll let you off easy this time. But make sure to restrain your magic better so you don't attract any more attention. Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Good." Louise offered him a small smile. "Now, I believe you wanted a tour of the academy?"

"We can still do that?" Aang asked excitedly.

"There is still plenty of time in the day," said Louise. "Besides, my class's assignment for today was spending time bonding with our familiars. This technically counts as me merely fulfilling the task I was given."

"Awesome!"

Aang knew he was acting like a child again, but he couldn't help it. It was one thing to see the school while flying overhead, but it was another thing to get a tour of the inside.

Louise decided to start in the building they were in. She took him to the top floor and they worked their way down. At the top of the academy's central tower was the headmaster's office and a few other faculty restricted areas. They weren't able to enter the rooms, of course, but Louise felt obligated to show what she could. As they descended, they passed the senior, junior, and freshmen female student floors. Then came the senior, junior, and freshmen male dorms. The next floor was a large common area, complete with tables, chairs, sofas, and a library. Finally, the bottom floor was a semi-circle that made the cafeteria.

"Where's the other half of the floor?" Aang asked.

"That's the kitchen and servants' area," Louise replied. "It's not a place for nobles like ourselves."

"Why?"

"Because we're nobles and they're commoners," was the factual reply.

"And?"

Louise hesitated, trying to figure out the best way to explain the difference of social status. "Think of it like different areas for students and teachers," she said. "Students cannot go in a place restricted for teachers. That is why commoners don't go to the same places as nobles. And while a teacher can go into a student's personal area, it's not socially acceptable to do so. That is why, as nobles, we do not go into the servant areas. Does that make sense?"

Aang nodded. That a much clearer explanation than he had expected. He wasn't ignorant about the difference of social status, but he wanted to learn the distinction from Louise's perspective to better understand her culture. "But I'm technically not a noble," the monk pointed out.

"True," Louise admitted. "But you are a very powerful mage, so you should try to act the part of a noble, even if you aren't. At least for now."

The hint she was giving him was tempting bait, but Aang was more curious about something else she had implied. "What does being a mage have to do with being a noble?" Aang asked.

Louise's eyes widened comically. She glanced around to make sure no one had overheard Aang's question before pulling the boy off to the side. "It has everything to do with being a noble!" she said in an urgent whisper. "Why do you think we are nobles?"

"Because you were born into nobility?" Aang guessed. That was the way it worked in the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom. There were also ways to become nobility through merit, but that was an extremely rare occasion.

"That is only partially correct," Louise informed him. "While we do have the blood of the Founder flowing in our veins, magic is our proof of rule. To have someone unable to use magic enter the nobility would be blasphemy against the Founder." She said this with a trace amount of bitterness.

"Wait," Aang said with a frown. "Are you saying that all benders—mages—are nobles? Using an element is all it takes to be a noble?"

"No," Louise denied. "All nobles are mages, but not all mages are nobles. Some mages have been cast out from their family; others have been demoted for their actions."

"That sounds sad."

"It is," Louise agreed with a solemn nod. "To lose the right to a noble family name is a great loss."

"Not that," Aang said with a shake of his head. "People without magic can't rise in status. Ruling should be based on someone's ability to lead, not their powers over an element."

To his surprise, Louise looked offended, even horrified by the suggestion. "The Founder set up the hierarchy six thousand years ago. It has worked then, and it continues to work now," Louise insisted.

Aang gave her a hard look that seemed out of place on his childish face. "If you only look at the surface, everything always looks peaceful. To find the truth, you must delve into the deepest depths."

"Is that a saying from your country?" she asked.

"I guess so?" Aang wasn't sure if the words were exactly right, but someone had told him something with a somewhat similar meaning. Maybe.

Louise sighed. Aang was an inquisitive and mysterious child, but that's all he was: a child. And he came from a distant—and most likely uncivilized—land. The questions he asked defied the church's teachings and went against everything Founder stood for, but it would be unreasonable to expect him to know how a proper society was run. In time, she would teach him how the world really worked. "Aang, you shouldn't say things like that in public," the young mage said softly, but sternly.

"Why?" Aang barely managed to keep his rising indignation out of his voice. He had to remind himself that Louise was most likely raised to be a bending supremacist. Unlike him, she had never seen what a non-bender could accomplish. While her words were insulting and harmful, she spoke from a childish perspective. In time, he would have to teach her how the world should work.

Louise took a deep breath to calm herself before explaining. "The Founder's blessing has been handed down the ruling classes since Halkegenia was founded," she said. "Magic gives us the divine right of rule. Only barbaric countries like Germania allow commoners to buy their way into nobility. If someone heard you speak against the hierarchy, they might report you to the church. Especially with the mess going on in Albion…"

"I don't get it," Aang admitted.

Magic, or bending, came from the lion turtles and had been passed down for generations. But it never determined the right to rule, and it hardy counted as divine. Whoever founded Halkegenia under those pretenses must have been a zealous bending supremacist. Aang also didn't know what a 'church' had to do with anything, or what mess was in Albion.

Louise could only sigh "Just don't speak against the way society works in public, okay?" she urged.

Aang nodded reluctantly. He still had questions, but he could tell now was not the time to ask them. The place was too public, and Louise looked like she wasn't in the mood to answer his inquiries.

There was an awkwardness between them as Louise resumed Aang's tour of the Academy, but gradually the two managed to push the feeling aside. Aang got to see the five towers that made the perimeter of the Academy. Each tower had a dome on top that was colored to symbolize the element it represented. From the right of Academy's entrance to the south, there was the blue Water Tower, the white Wind Tower, the red Fire Tower, the gold Earth Tower, and finally, the purple Void Tower.

Each tower, aside from the Void Tower, was inhabited by at least three professors who each taught one year's worth of students in their respective element. Classes were held in the corresponding tower of each element. Since the Void Tower was Brimir's "lost element", it had no teachers or inhabitants. Instead, it was used mostly for storage on the lower floors, while the higher floors made up the Academy's famed Vault. The Water Tower had three floors dedicated to the Academy's medical wing, but the other three towers were full of unused rooms.

"Why isn't more of the academy used?" Aang asked as the tour came to a close. "There's so much empty space in the towers and courtyard."

"What would we use it for?" Louise asked with a raised eyebrow. "The academy is designed for students, after all. We can't simply clutter the space with random junk."

"You could make some space for practicing magic."

"We already practice our more dangerous spells outside," Louise informed him. "The small, harmless ones are done inside classrooms.

"What about a place for animals?"

"We have our familiars, and there is a ranch with stables right outside the academy when we need to request transportation."

"How about sports? Do you play sports?"

"Of course, on the odd occasion."

Aang looked around but couldn't see anything except grass up to the courtyard walls. No poles, goals, balls, or anything that indicated a sport was played in the area. "What can you play out here?" he asked.

"Levi-ball, where you have opposing teams try to levitate a ball into the other's basket. There's Magic Shape, where you use your magic to make an image of something and someone else guesses. Oh, and I suppose there's Focus. Two people compete to see how long they can maintain a spell—"

"Not magic sports!" Aang interrupted. "Physical sports! Where you actually have to move, jump, or run!"

"Like exercising?"

"Yeah! No, wait, no!" Aang shook his head. "Don't you have any sports that involve movement instead of magic?" he asked.

Louise's nose twitched in barely concealed distaste. "Why would we do that?" she asked. "Those are commoner activities. Exercise and combat practice are the only physical activities a noble needs."

"Not true," Aang refuted with a shake of his head. "Sports are good for the body and the soul. Plus, they're fun! Come on, I'll show you some games I've learned."

"No!" Louise stoutly refused. "I'm not going to embarrass myself by acting like a commoner in the middle of the academy courtyard."

Aang was determined to bring some fun to Louise's life, so he brought his secret weapon.

Louise's heart was stabbed by the pitiful look on Aang's face. "No, I'm not going to play with you," she said firmly.

The pout on Aang's face intensified, steadily chipping away at the crack in Louise's defenses.

"Don't look at me like that," Louise insisted, turning her head away. However, she couldn't resist peeking an eye towards at Aang, who was still looking at her like a wounded puppy. "I won't! I mustn't!"

"Always a killjoy, aren't you, Little Louise?" Kirche's familiar voice popped up.

Louise's head snapped toward the germanian girl so fast Aang feared she would get whiplash. "What do you want, Zerbst?" she hissed.

"What a rude greeting," Kirche said in mock hurtfulness as she dramatically put a hand to her chest, or as close as she was physically capable of given the obstructions on her chest.

Trailing behind Kirche was the ever-silent Tabitha, who for once was not carrying a book in front of her face. She greeted Aang with a small nod. He gave her a small bow in return. Without the need to exchange words, they achieved mutual respect for each other.

"Don't act like your own greeting wasn't barbarically coarse," Louise shot back to her eternal rival.

"How about we all take a moment and breathe?" Aang suggested, sensing the rising tension in the air.

Louise looked at Aang skeptically, but she quickly realized that she didn't want to set a bad example in front of a child. Following Aang's advice, she took a slow breathe to calm herself. "My apologies, Kirche, it appears that my temper got the better of me," she said stiffly.

The politeness was clearly forced, but it took Kirche aback. "My, my, my! Louise de la Valliere, apologizing? What has this world come to?" Kirche smiled, but dipped her head down and offered her own apology of sorts. "It appears that my words were too strong for your sensitive Tristan heart. I'll be careful not to damage your fragile pride next time."

Louise's teeth grinded together as she forcefully swallowed a retort. A quick glance at the child beside her reminded her that every ounce of suppressed indignation was worth it. "Thank you for your consideration," she managed to grit out.

Aang was quickly realizing that despite his efforts, the mood was barely shifting. Like a breeze against a warm updraft, he was losing against the coming storm. It was time to pull out another of his trump cards.

Childish inquiries.

"I don't think we've properly met," Aang interjected. "I'm Aang, of the Air Nomads. Louise is taking care of me since I'm her familiar now. Who are you? Are you friends of Louise?"

"Oh, we know who you are," said Kirche. As she spoke, she slowly slunk up to the bald monk, letting her hips sway with every step. "I am Kirche von Zerbst, and this is Tabitha de Gallia. We saw your victory against Guiche. It was… very impressive." She tried to lay a hand on Aang's shoulder, but the boy managed to gently twist himself away from her reach. It was quite graceful the way he moved. There was no rush or urgency to his movements, and yet he managed to slip from her grasp with ease.

Aang wasn't sure why, but he had a feeling that staying too close to Kirche would end up being troublesome. Not dangerous, but his instincts were still telling him to keep his distance. The manner of her dress only added to his worry. She was supposed to be a student, so why was she showing so much cleavage?

"It wasn't that impressive," the boy said honestly, making sure to keep some distance between himself and the redhead. "Guiche's honor was satisfied before we really started to get into it."

"Oh, really? I thought it was because Guiche ran out of stamina." Kirche started to skirt towards Aang again, but once again he slipped out of her. Both of them moved casually, but with purpose. Kirche slowly tried to entrap him, but he always managed to slither out of the way. Their movements were like an improvised dance, or a very slow game of tag.

"He was breathing a little heavily," Aang admitted. "But I think he could've continued if he pushed himself."

"Oh? Are you an expert in stamina?"

Was she seriously trying to seduce with a twelve-year-old? Aang examined Kirche a bit more closely and thought otherwise. It didn't look like she was taking her flirting seriously, but it still sounded inappropriate. What were they teaching young nobles these days?

Before Aang was forced to come up with a response to Kirche's inquiry, his benefactor stepped in "Enough!" Louise shouted, reaching out and shoving Kirche away from Aang. "Stop trying to flirt with Aang! He's off limits, you cow!"

Kirche managed to catch herself before she fell. Straightening up, she smoothed the front of her skirt—needlessly, as it was untouched and far too short—and flashed Louise a satisfied smile. "I knew I could get you back to your old self," she said triumphantly. "Even in front of a child, your fuse is far too short, Louise." The redhead squeaked as something lightly jabbed her side.

To everyone surprise, Tabitha, staff in hand, was the culprit. Her eyes were narrowed in a rare show of disapproval to her tall friend. "Behave," she said curtly.

"Why are you being mean to me, Tabitha?" Kirche asked with an exaggerated pout. "I thought we were best friends! Are you taking Valliere's side now, is that it?"

Tabitha gave Kirche a deadpan look. "Embarrassing," she stated.

"I'm not embarrassing anyone! I'm showing my true self with no restraint!" Kirche declared proudly. "I am the Ardent, after all. My passion is as true as my flames!"

"Embarrassing," Tabitha repeated.

"Tabitha!" Kirche whined. "Does our friendship truly mean this little to you?"

Aang's stomach grumbled as the two girls played out their… he didn't even know what to call that conversation. "Want to sneak away and grab lunch?" he whispered to Louise.

The pink haired girl, still captivated by the unheard of scene before her, barely managed to nod in response. Aang grabbed her by the hand pulled her away from Kirche and Tabitha, the latter of which gave him the very slightest of nods as he looked her way. He gave her an appreciative nod in return.

From that moment on, without having exchanged a single word, the two became friends.

Aang wasn't sure why, but the food at the Academy made for some of the best meals he'd ever eaten. It didn't beat his wife's cooking, of course, but it far exceeded his usual fare. The seasonings were unusual, but potent in all the right ways. The ingredients sometimes were very familiar, and other times completely foreign, but everything tasted good regardless. He couldn't help but engorge himself.

"Is the meat not to your liking?" Louise asked, noticing that once again, Aang had consumed everything on his tray except the tantalizing meat. Luncheon steak was delicious and expensive, it didn't make sense to skip that of all parts of the meal.

"I'm a vegetarian," Aang replied.

Louise was surprised. "You don't eat meat?"

The boy nodded. "I don't want to consume anything that lived and breathed as I do," he explained.

"Oh." Louise lowered her fork, eyeing the juicy piece of steak that was on it.

"It's okay if you eat it," Aang hastily assured her. "I don't expect you to change what you eat because of my preferences."

Louise nodded, and eagerly putt he fork in her mouth. While she would never admit it out loud, the academy's chefs were a cut above the rest. "If I may ask, why are you a vegetarian?" she asked curiously.

"I was taught as a child to live in peace with all creatures," Aang explained. "I don't want to hurt anyone, not when there's another alternative. That's why I prefer to eat things that don't suffer, like plants and unfertilized eggs."

Louise found it ironic that Aang was speaking as if he wasn't still a child. Then she noticed something odd in his statement. "Wait, if you don't like fighting, why did you accept Guiche's duel?" she asked.

Aang sighed. "Guiche's talk about honor reminded me of someone close to me," he said. "That person wouldn't give up if his honor was on the line. I didn't want to fight Guiche, but I wanted him to find peace. Besides, he ended up using his golems as proxies, so I didn't have to worry about hurting him."

Louise nodded, accepting the explanation. "So, if he had tried to duel you without his golems, would you still fight him?" she inquired.

A nod was Aang's immediate response, but it came with a small frown. "Even if we had to fight each other, I would try my best not to hurt him," he said.

Louise could tell she was encroaching on uncomfortable territory with her familiar, but she wanted to ascertain something. "Would you ever willingly hurt someone?" she asked. "Say, if they threatened you? Or if it was a choice between your life or theirs?"

Aang was silent for a moment, making Louise wonder if she had poked too far. But before she could apologize, the monk calmly replied, "I will hurt someone if the situation calls for it. I will disable someone if they are too dangerous to leave alone. However, I will not kill my enemies to solve my problems. For better or worse, that is one line I will never cross."

Seeing her familiar speak with such conviction in his voice, all Louise could offer in response was a soft, "…I see."

I assure you all, now that I've gotten this out of the way, the plot will speed up.

Also, just to make sure everyone is aware, this story is now sharing it's upload slot with Iroh's story (Louise Summons the Dragon of the West). This means that a chapter is guaranteed monthly for either story (but not both) depending on my inspiration. I was going to see if I could make a double feature today as a bonus, but I wasn't able to get Iroh's chapter done in time. I'll try to give him one this month anyway.

And speaking of uploads, my original goal was 3, maybe 4 chapters a month, but recently I've been averaging closer to 5, and I'm attempting 6 this month. However, this will slow down back to three, since I'm going moving soon and getting ready to start school in late August. Once I get settled, I'll probably have to get a new source of income. Thanks to corona I don't have many options right now, so I'll be trying to do things online. I've been prepping a youtube channel (singing and skits will be my things), but that's unstable income, and I do want to keep writing in the meantime.

I'm going to finish setting up a Ko-fi sometime in the next couple of weeks. I'm going tell you all up front, even if I get nothing from Ko-fi, I'll still keep writing. I love it. But real life comes first. After August rolls out, my writing will slow until I can stabilize some income and make sure I'm making the grades.

Enough about real life, let me answer some general questions people have been asking me:

Q: Why are you using the same canon events?

A: In all my stories, I use a mix of LN, Manga, and Anime events and pick and choose them based on what would help the story. The duel scene with Guiche is one of the best ways to showcase a familiar's power early in the story. The Familiar Exhibition properly introduces Princess Henrietta early, sets future flags, and makes a convenient set up for Fouquet. (The set up for the theft in the LN was stupid). Especially this early on, when a familiar rarely has a chance to affect things that have been building up in Halkegenia for years, there's little reason to rework the events to be completely original. That energy is best saved for after the plot has been altered. In Aang's case, things are already changing, and the Princess's arrival will serve to enhance that.

Q: What can Aang do?

A: To sum up what Aang has in his bending and runes: his runes work closer to the anime version. If he wields a weapons (as in, something created with the intent of being a weapon) the runes would activate. Since Aang only carries around his glider, which is not designed to be a weapon, the runes have yet to trigger. And as for Aang's bending... we all know he's strong. I'm not sure if he actually is a square class mage, given how bending functions differently from magic, but he's strong enough to fight one. He is suffering a few issues, but those will be revealed in more detail later.

I hate having longer A/Ns with chapters these short, but I had to say all this now. Thanks to everyone who has followed, favorited, and especially reviewed. Remember, reviews are food for a writer's soul!