An Overly Generous Reward

Following the words of the revered instructor, all heads turned while all eyes fixated on a single individual. Feeling the stares of his peers, Joe began to walk forward at a steady pace. Every step served to increase to anticipation of the onlookers. Before long, a single man stood before the entire class with a straight back.

"Your decisive actions and careful division of the forces under your command has birthed results never before fantasized by the Board members. For this, you will be awarded the two hundred Merit Points as stated before as well as an addition one thousand points.

Your leadership is highly recognized by the older members of the Board that have witnessed slaughters in the first midterm due to poor planning and lack of delegation. Your individual strength, however, has been recognized by every person affiliated with the Academy to include High General James."

Every student was left speechless. All but three of them were simply given a single hundred Merit Points. Those that had led them throughout the exam had received double this. All but one of them was left in awe by the unfathomable number of points given to a single person.

After the initial shock had subsided and rational had set back in, it became clear as to why this was happening. Instructor Summers played a minimalistic role in their training. Most of it was ran by Joe. It was under his sole leadership that each of them was able to stand where they are today.

One person had a new thought running through her head. With a new anxiety welling up inside her, Clara could only stare at the broad back of the man she had fallen in love with. The final line uttered by their class instructor served as the catalyst of all her newfound worry.

'My father has taken notice of him.'

"In the following semester, there will be an inter-academy competition. The high General has personally requested to the Board that your participation is secured before any other. He has also sent a personal request that you join him and his family for a meal to discuss your future before you begin your mid-semester break. After this, you are to see me in my office to receive the details regarding the time and place. You are allowed to bring a single person of your choice to the meal."

All eyes immediately turned towards Clara. Although their heads had remained stationary, every one of her classmates had already concluded that Joe would have her accompany him to this meal. Some, however, concluded that this was pointless. Clara was the daughter of the High General and it specified that his family would also be there. What was the point in having her accompany him there when she would already be present?

What the entire class was unaware of was the anxiety that had shown itself before they had all even arrived that day. Clara was already aware of the dinner as well as the primary purpose of it. Simply knowing the purpose, Clara was still left mildly unsettled by the news that Joe would be attending. A small part of her wished she had told him the nature of her worry that morning. Now, she is trying to decide if she should tell him immediately.

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Following the assembly in the morning, the students were released for the day. In a few short hours, the first semester would be over, and they would have an entire month of freedom. Free to return home and see their families for the first time since they had enrolled.

For Joe, he immediately found himself standing in front of a familiar desk housed in a room he had spent a considerable amount of time within. Seated behind the desk with a mildly irritable expression was the woman he had spent countless hours within this very room. Seeing the expression, she was making, Joe was unsure how to behave in this scenario.

Any other time, the two would quickly have gone through whatever the purpose for his visit was before releasing all their "frustrations" on each other. Despite that history, Joe had been standing in the same place without a single word being uttered for the past half hour. Finally, Shianne broke the silence.

"Before you ask, no, I will not accompany you to this dinner. Ever since I learned of it, I tried to decide if you'd ask me. Just now, I realized that, with your personality, you would undoubtedly ask me to accompany you. Especially considering Clara's presence is already set in stone."

Joe's face contorted in disbelief. For thirty minutes he had stood in silence wondering what he had done to upset this beauty before him. To learn that her dissatisfied look was solely her own doing put an unpleasant taste in his mouth. Still, he relaxed after learning that he had not done anything to displease one of the women he cares so deeply for.

"In two hours, a car will arrive at the Western gate to escort you, Clara and your date to the dinner. For the sake of making a good impression arrive a half hour early. Punctuality seats very highly on the High Generals list of qualifying characteristics. More than likely, the escort will arrive shortly after you and report whether or not you were already there."

Seeing the serious look on his beloved's face, Joe could only nod in agreement. Seeing the relief pour itself across Shianne's face once she realized Joe was taking this serious as well, he allowed a gentle smile to imbed itself on his lips.

After excusing himself from the office, Joe immediately got in touch with Clara. Seeing how Shianne was either unwilling or unable to accompany him tonight, he was left with only one other choice to not show up alone to this dinner.