Chapter 40

Jia`s hand was tucked in the crook of her cousin`s arm as he led her away from the Head Table and down to the Initiate's Table where their friends were seated.

"Why were you all nervous back there?" Roy asked his cousin suspiciously. He wasn`t stupid. He saw how nervous his cousin was when she saw how her father had reacted to his friends. If they didn`t mean anything to her then she wouldn`t have hesitated to introduce them to her father.

He carefully watched his cousin`s face. She was now wearing a small smile and nodded at everyone who bowed at them before she whispered to him, "I wasn`t."

"Yes, you were." He insisted.

"I wasn`t." She stopped him and pretended to fix his tie. He was dressed in a nice suite that had only one adornment. A simple Topaz pin in the shape of a lightning bolt and a red sash, indicating his title. His father`s sash was similar to his but would have been purple.

"You were." He said when she finally stopped.

Jia pursed her lips and folded her arms, "I wasn`t, end of story."

"Jia, Uncle Marcellus isn`t stupid," Roy said as he untangled her arms and tucked one arm through the crook of his arm and continued their walk," Sooner or later, he`ll catch on that you`re good friend with the guys and that you`re closer to some of them. Like Mike and Chase."

"Or Dylan and Tristan," she added mentally.

They had finally reached their friends table where they all quickly stood and bowed slightly at him. The teenagers repeated the gesture in return.

"Hey, guys," Roy greeted them with a smile. Chase was about to return the greeting when Cole opened his mouth.

"Your dad is the Commander of the Elites!" Cole blurted out and winced as Chase elbowed him sharply.

"My, what a charming greeting, "Jia commented sarcastically.

Mike chuckled nervously, "Sorry Jia, it`s just that. We`ll, it`s kind of a shock to us."

"Did you arrange us coming here tonight?" Dylan asked, he felt agitated at his two friends, "Be honest with me, did we get here based on our friendship with you and Roy?"

Jia suddenly grew angry and shock, "No! That was all Uncle Brad and Uncle Dalton, they handle recruitment. I had nothing to do with it!"

"And we`re supposed to take your word for it?" Tristan asked. Jia turned to him as her jaw tightened with agitation. The man slept next to her only one night ago and now he was questioning her. What a Jerk!

"I have never lied to you all." Jia gritted out.

Tristan nodded, "You`re right, you just misdirected us."

"You know what? I don`t need this right now, I have other guests to see to," She said as she unhooked her arm and turned to curtsey at Roy," Excuse me cousin."

She then glided away to the other tablets and asked the boys there if they were enjoying themselves. Dylan watched how the boys eagerly leaped to answer her before he turned to his best friend. Tristan was now studying his cuff links. He didn`t look like the confident boy who had entered the Elites compound with him two hours ago.

"I guess now it makes more sense, all those uncles she mentioned. They were the Generals of the Elites." Mike reasoned out.

"The uncle with weapons is General Nikolai, the weapons master of the Elites!" Cole exclaimed again before Chase elbowed him and told him to lower his voice. He muttered an embarrassed apology as Mike shook his head.

"Yeah…" Roy said before asking hesitantly, "Are you all mad?"

"I don`t think so, I mean, "Mike said a he put his hands into his pockets and shrugged, "It is your family so we had no right to know."

"Plus, it was really up to you guys to tell us or not." Cole added.

"I did want to tell you all, it`s just that…Jia`s dad is extremely protective of her and of her identity as his daughter," Roy explained, he looked at each one of his friends and pleaded with them," Jia was kept hidden to protect herself. Her mother`s whole marriage was kept under wraps to protect her and the Uncle Marcellus. Everyone knew that the aunt Marina had married a commoner but not that he was a famous commoner. Everyone thought that Jia wouldn`t even be born with magic because of her father`s blood."

"I guess; I can understand that," Dylan mumbled as he and Tristan shared a glanced before nodding.

Roy waved at the turquoise eyed Knight to get his attention, "Dylan, Jia didn`t know that you and the others were invited here tonight. We just found out a few minutes ago. He then gestured to the Head table where the other Generals were sitting and dining," It was all her Uncle Brad and Dalton`s arrangement."

"Why didn`t she tell us when she was training us for the Exhibition?" Tristan asked.

Roy ran a hand over his mouth, "She didn`t want you guys to get noticed by favor but by merit. She didn`t even tell her family that she was training you guys."

"So everything we did; it was all on our own?" Cole questioned his friend, desperate to believe that it was his hard work that earned him the invitation to come here.

"Yes, I promise you all." Roy confirmed with a nod," Connections don`t get you selected at the Elites, only talent does. That`s the way Uncle Marcellus operates."

The Knights of Squad Five exchanged glances and sighed deeply. It felt great that Roy was up front about how they earned their invitations. It was less honorable for them to be there at the ball because of connections to the Nobles. The revelation of Jia`s parentage was also a shock but in time, it would be overcome.

"Well, at least we know where you got your combat skills from. Definitely not from your pansy Lord training," Tristan joked

Roy chuckled as the other boys snickered, "Yeah. He made sure that it was part of my up bring. He`s also been training my siblings and his nieces."

"His nieces?" Chase asked." Your cousin Isabella?"

"No, Uncle Dalton`s daughters." The grey-eyed Lord answered.

Dylan arched a brow at him, "Uncle Dalton? You call them Uncles too?"

Roy shrugged, "They said it was fine with them."

The Knights all shared a laugh as Roy asked them about the Ball and whether they were enjoying it. He asked the waiters for an extra chair and sat with them to eat. They had just ordered their meals, which shimmered onto their plates after they called out what they wanted to eat. They were trying to eat when Roy felt someone grasp his shoulder and squeeze. Cole and Dylan chocked on their drinks and the other Knights stared with dropped jaws at the person standing behind him.

Roy turned to see his uncle standing beside him with a smile, making the teenager jumped out of his seat, "Roy! Are these your friends?"

"Yes, Uncle." Roy answered quickly before mentally reminding himself to calm down. All around the table, the boys all stood up and bowed to him respectfully which earned him an amused smile," They`re members of my Squad. Squad Five of Sophomore Level at the Saton Knights Academy."

"Oh yes, I remember seeing your files from the Exhibition," Marcellus revealed as scanned all of their faces. Mentally taking note that they all seem to have stars in their eyes," Brad noted that you were all exceptionally talented for being so young. You and six others from Gladiolus Academy. The rest of the Initiates came from other schools in the other kingdoms or from recruits done on the streets."

"You recruited from outside the school, Commander?" Tristan asked with a gulp.

Marcellus smiled at him, "Just recently. But we are careful about who we take in. We don`t want rebels having access to the Elites."

"What about thieves, Commander?" Dylan asked from beside his friend.

Roy resisted the urge to smile and turned to see his uncle grin as if he was remembering something funny," Only if they steal for the right reasons."

"The right reasons, Commander?" Mike questioned him as he exchanged confused glances with Cole.

Marcellus tapped his chin thoughtfully, "I once knew a thief who stole just to get a decent meal for him and his friends."

"What happened to him? Did he join the Elites?" Tristan asked eagerly.

"Even better, he created it," Marcellus said with a gin before he turned to his nephew, "I'll expect you and your Squad tomorrow for Boxing Day Lunch, if that`s okay with your parents? Nothing official, just a casual lunch."

Roy risked a glance at his friends to see them all in different stages of shock. He then nodded at his uncle," Of course, I`ll arrange for transport."

"Excellent, see you boys, tomorrow. I`ll expect stories about Roy. The more embarrassing, the better," He said as he turned in time to receive Jia," Come along Jia darling, it`s almost time for the Opening Dance."

Jia nodded and let her Papa whisk her away to the dance floor.

"A thief created the Elites?" Cole croaked before Dylan shook his head to ward off his shock.

Tristan turned glared at his friend, "What`s wrong with that?"

"That is so badass!" Chase whispered with awe.

While the Knights tried to question Roy, Jia and Marcellus began the Opening Dance and soon was followed by the other Elites. The women laughed and giggled while Jia danced with a simple smile in her Papa`s arms as he twirled her around before leading her around.

"So, Jia darling, bolt, light of my life, my inspiration," Marcellus listed as Jia chuckled and pinched her Papa`s shoulder," Ow! What was that for?"

"Stop listing my pet names, it`s embarrassing in public," Jia chided him.

Her Papa shook his head in amusement," How about if I announce it during a speech tonight?"

Jia laughed and shook her head, "Please don`t, the boys will never let me live it down."

"The boys, huh? I had no idea you were close with Roy`s Squad members." Marcellus observed.

His daughter shrugged, "I saved their lives once and Roy introduced me to them, it would be rude to see them and not make conversation."

"True, however, you never mentioned it to me or your uncles in your phone calls. In fact, the last I heard about boys was when your roommate got into a relationship with one," Marcellus recalled, "How is that going, by the way?"

"Good, they`re both good," Jia replied with a smile," I mean, there was a time when it was bad but that they`re both good now and I think that they`ll be great in the future."

Marcellus grinned, "Good."

"I see what you just did there," Jia joked.

The Blue-eyed Commander then chuckled and shook his head at his daughter, "Honestly though, do you trust those boys? In a life or death situation, would you trust them?"

"I would trust them now. They're amazing Knights and better friends to Roy. They could have chosen to keep their distance from me but they didn`t."

Marcellus snorted, "I think them keeping their distance from you would have more to do with your looks and less with your relationships with Roy."

"Come on, Papa." Jia said as she rolled her eyes.

"No I`m serious," Marcellus insisted," Listen, when your Mother was at your age, she was a knock-out and it got even more obvious when she got older. Men flocked. Luckily for me, she took her Vow and trained hard."

"Not hard enough, you beat her." Jia pointed out.

"That was love, recognize it and accept. Besides, she lost gracefully and took to defeat like a queen," Marcellus said with a shrug.

Jia tilted her head and smirked at her Papa, "Her magic flooded the whole Mansion because of her losing."

Marcellus frowned at her, "Who told you that?"

"Aunt Willow."

Marcellus groaned and mumbled unintelligently as Jia burst out laughing. The Commander of the Elites shook his head before clearing his throat to get his daughter`s attention, "About your dream concerning your mother?"

Jia`s laughing slowly faded and she stared at her Papa before mumbling, "Papa…we don`t have to-"

"No, listen to me. "Marcellus interrupted her, "I can`t whole heartedly accept what you say…"

The white haired sorceress nodded before as she looked away before she heard him say, "But…"