Her parents come to tell her. Mention right away, naturally, that Greta's name was also on the address, and therefore she doesn't have to be even partially alarmed. Just recognizing the opportunity.

They hug her, and tell her how proud of her they are (not everyone finds their purpose so young!), and that they'll miss her but they're sure she'll do wonderfully.

She goes to make sure Greta knows, and hear updated instructions once Greta knows, and then goes into preparations.

'Within a week' isn't very specific, but good service needs to be prepared for that. She watches television sequences to study life in Auradon. She helps Greta practice probable Auradon school subjects. She crisscrosses everywhere she can get to and several places no one has probably considered that she can get to and stockpiles magical knowledge that may presently become practical.

She's ready when the car comes.

Her father is traveling somewhere or other with his show - she'll start keeping track of where when she's closer to being ready to further investigate and handle him, but she's not close yet so she's not doing it. She gets the news from Lisabet, and then later from her mother.

Her mother seems worried about something in there, which Greta thinks is silly. It's Auradon. And maybe her father will be angry but it isn't as though that never happens, and she's sure he'll be over it before long. Not like he has much use for her while she's here.

Adjustments and plans are in order - she has a few projects in the works but nothing that's going to suffer from being dropped. The word on the television is that Auradon is free of evil ever since the establishment of the Isle. She supposes that might be true, in which case she'll just need to load up on some resources, while she has the chance. But she's not believing it until she sees it, and if it turns out that's just another way the television lies - well, she's hardly intimidated by work.

The letter didn't actually demand he do it, so she's not surprised when her father doesn't show up at all before the week is up. She hardly needs him there, anyway. Just the car.

His father comes home furious. Is not satisfied with his chores, is not satisfied with his catechism, is not satisfied in his alacrity in coming to be punished for the former two. He redoes all of it. His father is not satisfied.

It is not until the next morning that he finds out why. Understands immediately, of course. His father would under no circumstances wish him to go, and his father knows that he does not have a choice in the matter. 

"I won't forget what you've taught me, father." (It is true. There are many things his father taught him that he does not believe are right, but he will not forget). He learns a new lesson, which is that he should not have said this. 

His father spends the few days left on lectures about evil, punishment for every infraction he sees Lius commit, lectures about the evil that lurks inside him, punishment for infractions he has not seen Lius commit, lectures about the evil of Auradon, and punishments which he refers to as prophylactic.

This does not leave Lius with very much time in the day. At night, when his father sleeps, he prays. He knows there is evil inside him. Everyone is born such, and surely he was born with more than most. Born with a soul that would find it easy to do evil, easy to to think it is good when it is not. Auradon has confronted evil before. Surely they must know how to deal with it. Surely if his soul leads him to evil deeds they will be prepared. 

Please may it be so. 

Ashwin barely hears his father talk, explaining what a ridiculous venture this is and how dare they this and how could they that, because all he can think about is being away from Nia. Would he be able to come back and visit? Could he? Or could he take Nia with him, smuggle her over the sea and into a land that would keep her safe, away from their father?

"Listen to me when I'm talking to you!" His father grabs him and shakes him. Ashwin forces his gaze back up. His father snarls. "You better remember where you came from, boy."

After that, Ashwin was left alone. Or maybe he simply avoided his father. Either way, there was preparations to be done. 

"Now when you get there, you will-" Cati's mother starts.

"Find the sceptre, bring it home," Cati finishes. Her mother, red lips pursed, nods.

"It's very important that you get it. More important than anything else, do you hear me?"

"On the pain of my neck, mother," Cati says, with a confident smile she doesn't feel. 

Her mother seems appeased, and nods again. She leaves Cati's room with a hesitant touch to her shoulder.

Cati's face drops once her mother leaves the room, and she has to sniff fiercely to keep them back. Fury, pure fury, that her mother could ruin something that could save Cati! Everything the Queen of Hearts touches turns to poison. 

She swipes away an errant tear, and clambers out her window, heading two roofs over to see her best friend.

Ashwin sits, holding his bow, his thumb running over the top. He looks up as Cati nears, but doesn't offer a smile. He simply shuffles to one side to give her a place to sit.

Cati sits, and lets the silence surround them for a moment.

"Do you know who the others are?"

"I heard Frollo raging about it, so no doubt his kid."

"Well. Won't that be interesting."

Cati looks over at him, biting her lip. "Have you told Nia yet?"

Ashwin shakes his head. His grip on his bow tightens.

"I'm sorry. You shouldn't have to leave her behind."

"If they cared about what we wanted they'd just take down the barrier."

"Ash..." she gets a noise in response. "Ash, this could be a new start for you. Maybe if things go well they'll let Nia come?"

"You don't believe that any more than I do."

He's not wrong. 

"When are you gonna tell her?"

"How can I? We've never been apart."

Cati wraps an arm around him, and rests her head on his shoulder.

Ashwin leans back on her, trying to stop the fear and sadness bubbling in his heart.

Soon enough Cati leaves, and the next few days pass without incident, as they prepare for their journey into Auradon.

The day arrives, not so much with fanfare, but certainly with awe as people clamour to watch a car drive across a golden bridge, and entering the barrier with ease.

Her parents help her check her bag. Nothing that would be forbidden in Auradon (not as far as they know, anyway), nothing that's forbidden on the Isle, but she'll as well supplied as she can be. Who knows what Greta might need. Hug her a last time. She promises to write, if they're able and if it doesn't interfere with what Greta will need. They smile at her. Of course. 

She doesn't bounce, waiting for the car to reach them. If tv is to be trusted, in Auradon they don't actually mind bouncing. She doesn't bounce much. 

She doesn't think it's customary in Auradon to carry weapons. Possibly not allowed. Best not to bring any then - even if they wouldn't be confiscated, best not to draw attention. She's sure they'll have kitchen knives or something anyway. She'll make do. She surveys who else is there.

He comes late, and running - his father had lectured him a final time, wanted him to recite instruction, started over again when he noticed Lius not paying full attention. Honor thy father, he told himself, tried to stop listening for the car or Auradon guards. He stops and waits as the car approaches.

He clutches his small bag to himself. He'd known his father would search it, hadn't tried bringing anything but what his father would wish. Materials for study. A change of clothes. (The clothes don't fit him very well. Earthly items are a false idol, and comfort of the body leaves the spirit to turn to wickedness, his father had said.)

Looks around a little, without looking far up. His father didn't like him leaving the house, so he hadn't, much, not when or where anyone might see him. His father has said they are all wicked and corrupt. He thinks this is something his father may be wrong about but - he doesn't know them, if not as much as he doesn't know the car. Or what it might bring him to. He prays.

(She notices Lius, makes a note to seek him out. Frollo's delivered regular diatribes about the evils of Auradon. Not like he's a trustworthy source, but more sources are better than less of those. She'll find him, when they're not being obviously watched.)

Cati walks up with confidence she doesn't really feel, but her mother feels important to portray. She pulls a small suitcase behind her, as a princess should have more than a few changes of clothing, shouldn't she?

She stands near the others to wait while their bags are searched, looking over her shoulder for Ashwin.

Ashwin arrives late, pale and drawn, hand in hand with his twin sister. They cling to each other, even as Ashwin hands over his bag. 

The guard draws out Ashwin's bow. "You can't take this."

Ashwin's look turns hard. "It's a family heirloom.
"It's a weapon."
"It's sentimental."
"It-"

"L-le-let A-a-ash-Ashwin take it!" Nia, Ashwin's normally silent twin, stammers out. 

"It's a weapon when there's arrows," she points out. (She may not be the social sort, but she knows how favours work. And why miss the opportunity to get some practical information on the Auradonites without being the target.) "Don't let him keep the string, if you're worried."

He stares at the ground and feels like he's braced for a blow. They're arguing, not even with an Isle exile (he knows that most everyone does that, but it's largely an abstract kind of knowing) but with their Auradon escort-

Ashwin looks up in shock at Greta coming to his defence. They haven't had much to do with each other, but he still appreciates it. 

"You can take the string. Just let me keep the bow."

The Auradon guard pauses, then sighs. "As long as you keep it unstrung, you can take it. No arrows." He replaces it back in the bag, and moves on to Cati's.

Ashwin presses a kiss to his twin's hair. "Thank you."

Nothing else was untoward, and so the bags are loaded into the car. "Say your goodbyes, we're leaving."

Either they're planning on constant surveillance, they don't really care about the bow and made all the fuss for show or something, or they're sure naive about what people do with rules. She hopes it's not the first one. If it's the third one they got lucky with the kids they picked. 

None of them have anything untoward in their bags, or any goodbyes left.

Ashwin turns towards his sister, and then they're hugging so closely it's hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. 

Cati watches sadly, waiting patiently to guide Ashwin away from the most important person in his life.

It's sad. He doesn't know what to do, if anything at all. Tries saying a prayer for them to be ok until they're reunited, and be reunited in happiness.

Ashwin presses three kisses into his sister's hair, eyes screwed shut, then slowly backs out of her arms. Their hands stay connected until the last moment, then Nia's remains stretched out, while Ashwin's falls to his side. He turns away, tears already brimming in his eyes, and takes Cati's hand.

Cati ushers him into the waiting car, rubbing a hand comfortingly up and down his back.

He isn't sure if he should - be there, watching, but he doesn't think he's supposed to suddenly leave and also they would see him do that.

He gets in the car.

They also get in the car.

The car starts to move, winding through Isle streets.

Ashwin slumps in his seat, tears tracking down his face. He looks out the window.

Cati squeezes his hand once, then turns to look at their fellows.

"Hey. I'm Catienne. Cati, for short. I know of you all, but I haven't really ever properly introduced myself."

He looks out into the streets; turns back when she starts talking. (He thinks that's correct.)

"Lius."

"Greta." Who else is in the car aside from the Islanders?

"Lisabet." She waves a little.

They've been left on their own in the back, the guard and driver up the front.

"Nice to meet you all. Glad Ashwin and I have some friendly faces for this venture."

"And you!" (Lots of people don't like their servers socializing like this, but Greta doesn't mind.)

"Interesting venture."

"One does wonder what they want with a bunch of villain kids."

He hadn't thought of that, or it like that. And now it's frightening.

"Maybe they think someone in their school needs an object lesson." She's partially checking if the Auradonites react at all to this statement. 

...that would be ok, right? He is born into evil but if someone can be better from seeing him that's good?

"Turning a bunch of bad guys onto the straight and narrow? A lofty task."

"Might be that." 

"Psychology research?" she suggests.

"Ah yes, figuring out if we're broken beyond repair because of who our parents are. Makes sense."

He huddles against the window.

"Not sure it counts as broken if they think we came that way." 

"Fair point. Perhaps it's more of a changing of views. Wanting to see if we can be different than our parents. I plan on showing them how much worse I can be," Cati says with a laugh.

She'll note that statement. As well as the making of it in the presence of the Auradonites.

"Perhaps they'll soon notice my conspicuous lack of a puppet show." 

(Her parents were loyal servers and she will be exactly like them. She doesn't say anything; it's not for public ears.)

"Well, I've always found that red was my colour. Even with the gaudy designs my mother preferred."

"It's a nice color."

“Thank you! This one-“ she nudges an unresponsive Ashwin, “-thinks it’s too aggresive. I think he’s ridiculous.”

...He hopes people don't think any of the colors he's wearing are aggressive...

She giggles. "What's it going to do, jump someone?"

"Oh, definitely. It's an aggressive thing, red." Cati laughs along with Lisbet.

Ashwin casts a baleful look at Lisabet, but remains silent.

"Sorry," she says to Ashwin. (She wouldn't alienate people for no reason, but he and Cati are friends and Cati started it so it shouldn't be like that.) 

"What do you think Auradon is like in real life?"

"Honestly? I think it veers on the side of being too pure. Too squeaky-clean. They need people like us to muss it up a little." 

She shakes out her perfectly styled, non-mussed hair.

She knows what Greta is thinking, which is that they need to keep an eye on Cati. (She can do that).

He looks anxious.

"Do you think they're going to hurt us?" (He shouldn't have asked that. He has evil in him. They should hurt him, or it's better than they hurt him than that he hurt someone...)

Cati laughs once. "Ha. Hurt us. They want to make us like them. All pure and good and nauseatingly perfect."

"They want to prove that evil isn't in the blood." Ashwin's voice is assured, but they can hear the tears in it.

He wants to be pure and good

That means they have to hurt him

It won't work it can't work evil is in him

"How?"

Ashwin is silent, returning his gaze to the window.

"I wouldn't worry your head, pretty thing. They won't find anything evil in you." Cati says gently to Lius."

Why did she call him that? (his father said to be watchful of women, but he thinks that is something his father is wrong about.) 

...he's not gone out much but he lived on the Isle, and he's seen some tv, and he remembers associations with calling someone that. Does she - does she want to hurt him like that? Surely Auradon wouldn't allow that? Even to villain children, not if they took them off the Isle...

He curls in on himself a little. "They already know."

“That we’re rotten to the core? Definitely. Up to them to decide whether we’re worth this little experiment.”

He doesn't understand how that makes sense with the other thing she said...

He hugs himself again. (He's not worth anything, he knows that.)

"Would be great if they were more specific about what they wanted." 

“You can be rotten without being evil. Ashwin proves it on a daily basis,” Cati says, earning a glare from the boy in question. She’s trying to placate the nervous Lius, but finds herself woefully underprepared. 

“Wouldn’t it just? I guess they don’t think we need to know that yet.”

He thinks she's making a joke. He smiles a little. (They're friends, he thinks (her and Ashwin). It's nice that that's something that exists.)

"Oh, maybe they'll run an orientation when we get there; sounds fun.

The real meaning of 'experience life away from the Isle, and get to know their neighbors across the sea' and all that."

“Mmm, yes. Dangle the fresh meat in front of the ravenous crowd. Let’s see if we come out alive.”

(Well if that's something they get up to in Auradon she'll sure have a lot of work to do.)

She laughs a little.

(If anyone tries to murder Greta they will have to go through her first. And also they won't make it through her. So there.

She may not be currently very good at disguising her facial expression.)

Shiver. (He doesn't want to die. This is bad, because he's evil, and also cowardly because when he dies he will face god and god's judgement and it's wrong to not accept that. 

He still doesn't want to die.)

“Look at those serious faces. Don’t worry. I’ll protect you.” 

This is said with an air of easy confidence. 

Lius may feel curious eyes on him, while Ashwin looks sadly at someone he might have been. 

(Oh worry is not at all what she's feeling.)

She is also not worried. Whatever happens she will serve Greta and that's what's important. 

If she was evil, he should tell her he doesn't want her protection, lest he be accepting protection from evil. But he doesn't have reason to think she is evil, and to offer protection is beneficent and giving. 

"Thank you."

He does feel the eyes. He doesn't know what to do from that.

“You’re welcome, dear one.”

Greenery begins unfurling around them, and it’s clear they’ve made it into Auradon. 

(Why did she call him that? Will she want him to, to buy protection? He won't do that, he is evil and a coward but he won't...)

This is exciting!

“Ooh! There it is!” Wrinkled nose. “It’s so...cheerful.”

He sees the look on Lius’ face, and wants to say something, but is soon forced into the window by Cati. A startled laugh actually escapes him.

He looks nervously through the window.

Rolling green hills, sparkling lakes, picturesque forests, what isn't there to like?

Ashwin stares at the forests with a hint of longing.

He was thinking it'd be people already. Instead it's - pretty. And so much of it. (He'd seen this on tv before, but.) He sings a hymn in his head, silently.

Probably handy if she needs to get rid of a body at some point.

The screen between them and the driver rolls down. "Got about half an hour before we get to the school."

"Thank you," Cati says, smiling demurely.

The driver seems slightly taken-aback by that, and smiles back before he can stop himself.

"Thank you, sir," he says automatically. Then the words reach him and he shivers.

"You'll be all right," Cati soothes.

"Thank you," he says, also automatically. (He doesn't know what she's doing and why -)

('you'll be alright' - he thinks about what that means. (not what she means, he doesn't know that, but the sentence is in his thoughts now). He wants to be alright and not do something horrible and he doesn't know how but probably they'd stop him (he prays). He doesn't know if they're going to hurt him, or really really hurt him so he won't be alright much at all. But he deserves it so that doesn't matter.) 

Cati smiles and turns back to the window.

Ashwin looks at Lius as if he can see the cogs in his head turning, and then looks back out into the forest too.

He prays.

She tries to spot signs of the school or other interesting things.

Cati, despite her earlier attitude, seems to not want to fill the silence.

Soon the forest gives way to a sprawling castle and grounds, the Auradon crest displayed proudly. 

A woman stands before it, beaming.

(Attitude or no, it's not really surprising that someone doesn't literally talk constantly.)

Wow!

He's-seen-it-on-tv-but. (TV doesn't do size -)

He shrinks a little again.

The car pulls smoothly up in front of the woman, and there is a clicking from the doors. They must've been locked in the whole time.

The driver and his passenger open the door closest to Ashwin. "Welcome to Auradon."

Ashwin steps out, looking around at the greenery, the well dressed people-

It's so little like home. Nia would've loved the castle.

Cati slides out after him and is quick to approach the woman. "Hello! It's so nice to meet you. I'm Catienne."

The woman beams. "How lovely to meet you! I am Fairy Godmother, Headmistress of Auradon High."

She notices Greta notice the lock, does some quick mental review of lockpicking. 

They all get out of the car.

"Thank you," he says to the driver.

He trails behind. (His body language might put someone in mind of expecting an invisible castle denizen to jump him.)

Ashwin steps next to Lius. He figures someone should, and he at least can protect him.

Fairy Godmother looks away from Cati to beam at the others. "Lovely to see you all. Welcome to Auradon High! It's a great honour you being here, you know. This school is where future kings and queens learn!"

He flinches a little by reflex.

"We're very honored, ma'am," he says, because that is probably what she wants them to say.

(If there's princes or princesses here there'll be guards and security, right, if he tries to do something -)

Uh huh. (She'll refrain from literally rolling her eyes but only for strategic reasons.)

They should feel honored to have Greta here.

"Of course! The future kings and queens that will keep children on an island for the sins of their parents, a truly wonderful institution," Cati says sweetly.

Fairy Godmother looks at her sternly. "Now, now. None of that attitude here, please. I understand this will be a strange transition for you, but this will become your home. Treat it with some respect."

"Of course. Deepest apologies," Cati says, leaning over her shoulder to wink at the others.

Ashwin snorts.

Amusement.

Ahhhh. 

Now he looks like he's expecting someone to hit him.

Ashwin steps a little in front of him, like he's going to accept the blow for him.

"Now, come along. I'll give you a short tour while your bags are taken to your rooms. We have boys and girls dormitories, two beds in each."

He hands over his bag; hopes he didn't forget about anything that would make them angry to find.

What a stupid way to sort dormitories. 

“There’s three girls. We’d rather not be separated.”

Fairy Godmother nods solemnly. “Of course. It’s going to be hard enough for you without putting you with a stranger. I’ll have a third bed put into the room.”

She'd been half wondering which of them was going with a Auradon type, and half if they'd want all of them with Auradon types. Probably more convenient, this, not that she doesn't think they're being watched anyway. Better for keeping an eye on Cati too.

Oh good then she'll definitely be with Greta. She smiles at Cati.

She nods at Lisbet, smiling knowingly. 

“All right, we’ll start in the entrance hall, just through here.”

Fairy Godmother leads them through huge double doors into a massive room. 

He is overwhelmed with the sight again.

It's the kind of place she would've been brought up in, were her mother still the Queen of Wonderland. 

So she hates it.

It's no forest, that's all Ashwin cares about.

"Beautiful, isn't it? We wanted students to feel right at home." Fairy Godmother seems unaware that the kids don't seem thrilled with it. She leads them on, showing them the winding stairs, the sprawling grounds, the far-too-ornate classrooms.

They get many stares from the students. Most seem wary, some are angry. A few look disgusted.

"Feel right at home"?!

He continues staring around with wide eyes. Shrinks at noticing the stares. But they're right to look like that...

Blah blah blah fanciness. She keeps an eye out for good places to catch someone by surprises, hiding places, places to listen in without being noticed. 

Staring's not a crime, but some things that start with staring sure are. She remembers everyone she notices at it.

It's pretty cool! She looks around while also looking for the kinds of things Greta is. When they're not looking she glares back at the rude students.

Oh no, angry stares, whatever shall Cati do?

"I've endured worse than that for not doing my hair right," she stage-whispers to Ashwin.

Ashwin snorts. "An angry stare is practically an 'I love you' back home."

Oh no. He looks at them with distress. (It's not that he doesn't know that lots of the Island kids' parents hurt them. But.)

"Don't mind them, they'll get used to you, just as you will them. They're going to be your classmates, after all." 

Fairy Godmother leads them up one flight of stairs, down a hall, finally stopping in front of a room. "Ladies, this is you. The boys and I will leave you to get settled."

Cati grips Ashwin's hand. "Later?"

Ashwin hears the hidden question. "Later," he confirms.

How did this person get to be headmistress? Or maybe she's not actually that stupid and just feels like pretending. 

She's also pretty sure that 'get used to' is for things like 'unexpected surprise' and not for things like 'want you to have stayed on the Isle'. Well, unless they try something against Greta or Greta wants her to, dealing with Auradon students is not her job. She goes to check out the room.

It's very ornate, with three four-poster beds set up in it, as well as three wardrobes, three desks, and a statue of...someone important, no doubt, smack bang in the middle of the room.

Their bags have been delivered, and left by each bed.

That's not a very convenient place for a statue. Is it someone she'd recognize from TV?

They're fast at moving furniture though! Which beds have their bags?

It's definitely a familiar face, as if it's someone's mother, or someone grown up. 

The left most has Greta's, the middle has Lisbet's. The pile of luggage on the last bed can only be Cati's.

"Oh, they've got to be kidding."

Cati is looking at the statue with a mixture of disgust and exhaustion.

Good, she can be next to Greta and protect her if it's needed.

"You know them?"

"You could say that. It's Alice."

"..."

"I probably have something around here if you want to smash it and not just toss a sheet over it. Can say it fell over."

(She wonders what the second room was going to have had, and what the boys get.)

"I won't antagonise the good guys too much. Yet. I may just draw a moustache on her. You know, harmless vandalism."

Cati swans past, heading for her suitcases to start unpacking.

Her lookout. 

They'll also unpack. 

Cati has an almost ridiculous amount of clothing that she unpacks. All in red and black and white, all far too formal for what should be a school setting. And is that an actual ball gown?

The beauty of the clothes does not mean they get treated well, however, as Cati shoves them in the wardrobe without care. The only things she hangs up seem to be casual athletic wear.

Why are so many Islanders such terrible parents. It's upsetting. 

Her father is also a pretty terrible parent but he didn't really try to get input into her packing.

While she's at it she checks for good weapons hiding places and the like.

While the girls are sorting out their own room, Fairy Godmother shows the boys to their own. 

It's almost the same as the girl's, though they have a different statue in the centre of it. 

"Please, make yourselves comfortable. Someone will come and collect you for dinner."

Ashwin says nothing to her, simply stalks into the room to his bag, pulling out his bow to check it.

"Thank you," he says (his father had considered politeness important, had taught it firmly).

He stares around at the room, then it penetrates more fully that he's going to be supposed to be living in it and he wants to hide in a corner.

(Does he recognize the statue?)

It's certainly a prince of some description.

Ashwin looks over his shoulder to Lius, feeling his anger soften.

"You okay?" He asks, once they're alone.

He recognizes Prince Naween from TV. Doesn't think anything of it; he knows they do things like that with important people in Auradon.

He - doesn't know why Ashwin is asking him that. 

"...Yes?"

"Are you?" he adds, because he knows that's what you do, when you're talking to someone.

"Not really. Never been this far from Nia before." He runs a thumb over his bow. "You can tell me if you're not okay. I'm not gonna push for conversation. But we are friends."

"I'm sorry. I hope she'll be ok."

He's - not sure he really knows what that means. He's ok, because he hasn't hurt anyone yet, and he can't be ok, because he's evil, and he's ok because there isn't anything he should complain of.

(He isn't sure he knows how to be friends, either. Worries suddenly that it's dangerous for him to be in a room with someone alone, who isn't his father. But the people in charge wouldn't put him here if something bad would happen would they?)

Ashwin's grip tightens around his bow. She won't be, he thinks, but doesn't say.

He's not sure what to do, he and Nia never needed words, and Cati always talked enough for the both of them. He looks over at Lius, titling his head a little. Trying to puzzle him out. It's probably going to be a time thing.

He notices. But there's nothing he can do, except pray for her, and offer to, and he doesn't think people like it when he says it.

"I'm sorry," he says again. (She should have been invited instead of him...)

He isn't sure what the second gesture means.

"Why are you sorry? You didn't do anything."

It's hard to imagine Lius doing anything evil at all.

"It's - still sad," he says (he isn't sure how to say any of other things that makes him think, even if he was trying to say them).

(Lius doesn't find that hard at all.)

"Being brought here? Perhaps. But we won't be here for long."

Ashwin collapses onto his bed, taking his bow with him.

He meant her being there and maybe not ok. But he doesn't know how to say that. He isn't sure how to respond either but he wants -

"...why?" Why do you think that? How do you know that?

"We're not going to be here for long."

Ashwin seems certain, but not from a sensible standpoint. His shoulders are hunched, like he's bracing for a hit. 

He notices, again. He wants to do something to help, and he doesn't know what he could do. He starts to pray for help for it, stops. If he's going to pray he should pray for Ashwin, it matters that Ashwin - has what he needs, has what is better; it doesn't matter how it comes to be. It's selfish, to ask that it be through him, as though it matters that he can do something and not just that Ashwin - and Nia - are OK (or - more OK. Or whatever they can be). Selfish. (He prays.)

"I'm sorry," he says again.

Sensible or not is invisible to him; just the certainty.

"Why - do you think so?"

"They'll change their minds and send us back. Declare us unsaveable. Not that we needed saving." 

Oh. They might do that. Which - they would be right, about him, he shouldn't complain about that. But if it's better for some of the others, here, and they get sent back too -

(He shouldn't have been invited, someone else should have been invited, what if they send everyone back because of the evil in him-) (He - needs saving but he is probably unsaveable, and it's selfish to want it anyway -)

"I'm sorry." He should think of something else to say, but he hasn't.

"I-I'm not sad to go back? Why are you sorry?"

"Oh. That's good then." He should actually unpack his things. He starts doing that, even though interacting with the room makes him want to hide somewhere again. He still doesn't have very many things.

Ashwin doesn't press him, but does shoot him glances as they unpack.

Soon, they are collected for a feast in their honour. The page is practically vibrating in excitement.

"You're going to give us slightly more notice, thank you," Cati says, glaring at the person. 

He doesn't know almost anything about feasts, except that they're important, and he doesn't know what he will need to act like. ...And he knows people wear nice clothing, to feasts, and he doesn't have any (which is good, it is sinful to seek material finery...)

He's already in his best clothes, for coming here, though if they're given time he can put on fresh clothes.

She researched what she could on feasts in Auradon and summarized it for Greta, though neither of them really have clothing nicer than what they're wearing either.

This sounds like an opportunity to see many of those in the school at once; good.