Septima stares at this girl.  She's short enough to be a frosh; her voice doesn't sound familiar but that might just be a spell... "How do you know all this?  Who are you?"

"Call me -"

No, not the gods' herald; They almost certainly sent her back here and now, but they didn't give her any appointment so she's not going to risk Their frowning on her.

"- the Herald of Past and Future."

Pause one beat, waiting for a Divine smiting or Lunetta's voidcalling computer somehow slipping in.  Septima isn't looking sure enough...

"So will you tell the Headmaster?"

Septima stares at the girl who's probably not Chyrna's divine herald Herself.  "Y-yes."

"Who are you, knowing all this --"  Raul reaches out to snatch back this weird girl's hood and see who's been spying on him.

Viola's charmed hood resists his tug.  She remembers smugly how dear Marius had taught her this spell; it hadn't been useful often, but it sure is now!

"Call me the Herald of Past and Future."

She puts sparkles in the air above her sleeve-cuffs, remembering how much dear Marius had liked that.

"And supposing I believed you -"  Raul tries to keep the guilt out of his voice, but he's pretty sure he's failing.  "Would anyone believe me?"

"You won't be the only person going to the Headmaster.  Lunetta did this with someone else, too."

"Hmph."

Raul's pretty sure he'll agree, but he won't admit it so quickly to someone who looks like she's probably just another frosh.  He'll make her talk him around a little more first.

Viola slips into an alcove she knows very well from the future, uncharms her hood, rolls up her cloak, and lets out a long breath.  Her first scheme is (probably) successful; that dreadful Lunetta will have her reputation besmirched.  Dear Marius won't totally overlook this.

She runs her fingers slowly, longingly, over the stones where one day she and Marius would kiss...

... but that's in the future now.  Gods grant it still is.

  She glances down at her bracelet for the obvious (still-risky) next step now, but decides she's got an excuse to put it off a little longer and do it in private.

It's far too painful seeing Marius at the gates.  She can't but call out a greeting and exchange a few words - simple meaningless words about the school they're starting.  He doesn't seem to notice the obvious passion in her words; she doesn't know what he'll make of it when or if he does think back over it and notice, but gods grant nothing bad.

She doesn't even ask who or what he's waiting for.  She doesn't think she can bear it, yet, if it's Lunetta.

While Selvya is listening to Lunetta telling her story to the Prince, and making confirming noises with one fragment of her attention, she gets a call.

It's hiding its origin.

She could of course trace it, at least far enough to tell whether the Headmaster or Royal Watch or someone else is hiding the original caller -- but that doesn't matter.  She might as well just answer, and trace later if she cares to.

"Hello?" she says in her normal girly voice.

Viola clenches her fingers.  Has that terror already pierced her scramble-route and alerted Lunetta that she's calling and then she'll be coming --

-- no, she'd just be getting pointed questions at worst.  Lunetta won't be killing or enchanting anyone yet. 

She swallows and repeats the words she'd wheedled out of Selvya's parents so long ago and in the future.  "Priority lunar heavens; by Venlis, by King Arbutus.  No-notice and confirm."

A long-neglected process, carefully put in by the designer who was not yet sure what sort of computer he might be designing - who did not yet appreciate he was designing his daughter - who was alert against the misaligned disaster it might be - spins to unconscious action.

Selvya finds her voice speaking words without her intention:  "Priority lunar heavens confirmed."

And at the same time, she doesn't care or pay attention to the words, or to the call anymore.  Figuratively blinking, she just keeps listening to Lunetta and Marius.

A triumphant grin steals across Viola's face.  She's done it.  Just like she did in the future.  Except without anyone else at her side.  Lunetta's most dangerous ally is now hers.

"List any activity directly related to me," she snaps.  "Then, anything directly related to Lunetta."

Apparently, dear Marius is talking with Lunetta.  Soon, Viola too is listening to Lunetta talking about how someone named "Lila" is claiming all the world is a story, a romance story.  Obvious nonsense, but still - she orders the computer not to interrupt without her permission.

But, she realizes, it might not just be nonsense.  If a mysterious dream came at the same time she got sent back to the past, might that not also be from the gods?

Still, with Marius trying to analyze Lunetta's dream... she doesn't want him doing that so quickly.  It's time to interrupt him.

"Computer, program Lunetta's ring to probe the flyer as if trying to take it over.  You don't have to actually take it over - please don't, in fact - but make an alarm sound.  And make sure this isn't traced back to you.  And, are you able to do the same to Marius's gem?..."

She's not sure how they'll react; that'd never happened in her past.  She'll watch and find out...

... And by this time, Septima and Raul should've gone to the Headmaster.  Maybe if he needs more evidence for a faster reaction, she can wheedle her way in with a story of being insulted by Lunetta that's not really lying since it did happen in (her) past.