Alexandra’s brown eyes scanned over the boy, taking in his features to deduce if her nice behavior was really necessary. She loathed acting such a way entirely. His bow indicated that he was at least raised properly, and before he even finished his sentence, she realized who this was.

Niccoló York. The blonde did not know all that much about him, but she knew, as he stated, that they would one day be related. This first year was the very one her sister was betrothed to. Hatred for Amelia flooded her system, hatred and jealousy; why did Amelia get such a proper gentleman to marry? The elder sister was stuck with Chino Espinoza. That wasn’t fair at all. If there was to be a shift in equality, then Merlin darn it, it was supposed to be for her, not against.

“Would you mind terribly if I joined you?” asked the younger student. His manners were impeccable, the kind of manners a future relative of the Knight family ought to have. “Of course not,” answered the twelve year old with a formal smile. “Do sit down, won’t you?”

Here came the part that Alexandra found tricky; she was hardly a master of the more intimate situations. After all, Niccoló would be her brother one day. There was no point in introducing herself formally as he knew who she was, and they had passed the point to do so. “My sister,” she began, covering all traces of awkward with boisterous self-confidence. “Will be joining us at this school”--awful place that it was--“next year.” There, that ought to introduce the idea of Amelia. The Lyra was not a fan of her younger sister, although she was better than their youngest, but she could sense he was curious about her. Who wouldn’t be curious about their future spouse?

Unless, of course, their future spouse was Chino Espinoza. Arrrgggghh!