Wedding Hells (Schooled in Magic Book 8) Read Free Page B

were many tutors at Whitehall who would have put up with her for longer than a few hours. She’d probably have been expelled several times over by now.
    Void shrugged. “That does lead neatly to a second pair of issues we need to discuss,” he added. “The first is this .”
    He reached into a pocket, produced a small wooden box and passed it to her. Emily opened it carefully, after casting a handful of spells to check it was safe, and blinked in surprise as she realized it contained a ring. There was a faint hint of magic surrounding the gold and silver band, but it didn’t feel hostile . In fact, it felt almost welcoming.
    She looked up at him. “Are you asking me to marry you?”
    Void blinked, nonplussed. “What?”
    Emily sighed. “Where I come from, married couples exchange rings,” she explained. Void had listened to her stories of Earth with great interest, but she’d never discussed marriages with him. “The boy offers the girl a ring when he wants to marry her.”
    Void looked faintly displeased. “ Traditionally ,” he said stiffly, “a sorcerer will receive four rings in his - or her - lifetime. The first one” - he pointed to the box in Emily’s hand - “is a family ring, which is generally presented when the sorcerer is deemed mature. Most families hand them out in a private ceremony after the sorcerer passes his first set of exams. Among other things, they serve as proof of identity.”
    Emily looked down at the ring for a long moment. “And what does this one mean?”
    “People will ask why I haven’t given you a ring,” Void said, dryly. “That one marks you as a member of my family.”
    “Oh,” Emily said. It was suddenly very hard to speak. She had to swallow, hard, before she could say a word. “Do...do you have any other family?”
    “I’m the last of my family,” Void said, curtly. “But I do not believe they would have objected to me welcoming you into the family. It is far from uncommon to adopt promising newborn magicians and they are always treated as if they were born into the family.”
    He shrugged. “You can wear the ring, if you like, or keep it with you. Certain people may ask you to present it. If they do, make sure you have it on your finger when you show it to them.”
    Emily nodded, looking down at the ring. “What are the others? I mean, the other rings?”
    Void held up his left hand, revealing three rings. “You’ll get a ring when you complete your Sixth Year exams and leave Whitehall,” he said. “Your master, assuming you do an apprenticeship, will give you a ring when you complete your training. And you’ll get a fourth ring when you have a child.”
    “You’ve only got three rings,” Emily said.
    “So I do,” Void agreed. He tapped the table, firmly. “You have entered a formal courtship with Caleb, as I understand it. You will be going to Beneficence after your exams, correct?”
    “Yes,” Emily said. She had no intention of letting him distract her for long. “I’m going to meet his parents. Lady Barb said she would accompany me.”
    “She’s there to be your chaperone,” Void said, curtly. “Under the terms of a formal courtship, his parents will be taking a good long look at you and your choice of chaperone.”
    Emily frowned. “Will they expect you to come?”
    “It is generally assumed that a chaperone will be female,” Void said. “A combat sorceress would be regarded as an excellent chaperone. She will be expected to defend your honor to his parents. However , there will be times when you are expected to defend your own honor.”
    “I see,” Emily said, uncertainly.
    “His siblings may challenge you, gently,” Void added. “Keep your tone polite, but don’t give them any ground. They’ll be looking for signs of weakness.”
    He paused. “You and Caleb will be expected to behave yourselves,” he warned. “His family will be watching to see how you treat him - and vice versa. When you’re at a formal setting, be