Long Live My Enemy

Isaure had prepared three arguments, two supporting documents, and one response to every objection she expected to hear.She had not prepared for Caspian Thorne to make a good point.The first assessment took place in the academy's debate chamber, where the candidates sat before a panel of teachers and student representatives. Séverine occupied a seat near the front, while Rafe had apparently decided that supporting his friend meant lounging in his chair as though he owned the building.Isaure ignored both of them.She stood when her name was called and presented her proposal for improving access to academic resources and student societies. She spoke clearly, answered the panel's questions, and explained how the changes could be funded without placing unreasonable demands on the academy.When she finished, one of the teachers complimented her preparation.She returned to her seat satisfied.Then Caspian stood.His proposal addressed the same problem from a different direction. He argu

By Wednesday morning, Isaure had discovered that asking students what they wanted was considerably easier than getting them to answer honestly.She stood in the student common room with a notebook in one hand and a list of questions in the other. Around her, students occupied the sofas, crowded the tables, and argued over a card game that had apparently become a matter of national importance.“I only need five minutes,” she told a group sitting near the windows.One boy looked up from his cards. “Is this compulsory?”“No.”“Then I have a meeting with my conscience.”His friends laughed. Isaure didn't.“Fine. I'll ask someone else.”“Wait.” A girl beside him put down her book. “What exactly are you asking?”Isaure explained her proposal to improve access to academic resources and student societies. She had expected questions about funding and implementation. Instead, the girl wanted to know whether the proposal would help students who struggled to find information about existing progra

Caspian Thorne POV: By Friday afternoon, half of Veyrenholt had decided I was going to win the leadership competition, and the other half had decided I would find a way to get disqualified first. They knew I could speak in front of a room without notes. They knew I had been warned twice for leaving supervised study early and once for climbing through the old gym entrance after it had been locked. They knew I rarely looked nervous, even when a teacher was reading out my name in the tone reserved for disappointing announcements. They had turned those details into a whole personality. I let them. It was easier than explaining myself to people who had already made up their minds. At lunch, Rafe dropped into the seat opposite me, his tie loose and his hair still damp from training. Two boys from the upper year glanced over before lowering their voices. I caught my name, followed by a quiet laugh. Rafe caught it too. “You could make their lives difficult.” “They’re managing that them

By the time the practical assessment arrived, Caspian Thorne had learned three things about Veyrenholt Academy.First, students would complain about almost anything if you gave them enough time.Second, staff members loved the word feasible almost as much as they loved asking for revised budgets.Third, Isaure Valcourt could turn a simple disagreement into a matter of principle before most people had finished explaining themselves.He had witnessed the third discovery firsthand that morning.The candidates had been divided into small groups for the final preparation exercise. Each group would consult a selection of students, identify a genuine problem within the academy, and develop a workable response. The assessors would evaluate their collaboration, decision-making, and ability to respond to criticism.Caspian had barely found his assigned table when he saw Isaure checking the names on the sheet.Of course.She looked up and noticed him.“No,” she said.He glanced at the paper. “Go

Isaure Valcourt had imagined winning the competition so many times that she had stopped counting.In some versions, the announcement came after a brilliant speech. In others, Caspian Thorne stood beside her, visibly stunned, while the entire academy finally acknowledged that she had been right all along.In one particularly satisfying version, she accepted the result without even looking in his direction.That morning, however, she was too nervous to enjoy any of those imaginary victories.The school assembly hall was already crowded when she arrived with Séverine. Students filled the rows, teachers stood along the walls, and the candidates had been directed to the front. A printed programme rested on every seat, although Isaure doubted anyone had come to read it.The announcement was the only thing anybody cared about.“You've checked your notes four times,” Séverine whispered.“I'm checking the programme.”“The programme hasn't changed since you sat down.”Isaure slipped the papers