[Past Life]
Within a few years of his return, I had entered the same academy as Prince Erik.
The Royal Academy accepts Nobles of ages sixteen and above where students will attend for three years before inheriting the family line. There are exceptions such as scholarship students that get in through recommendations. There are only simple classes here because this is a school for mostly nobles. Anything more would require specialized institutions or apprenticeship. The true purpose of this playground is to test our abilities in making connections. In other words, you are tested in how to rule the people.
"Welcome," Prince Erik said as he greeted me with a red rose and a pink ribbon wrapped around it upon me entering the school gates.
"Eek! It's Prince Erik!"
The girls watching were screaming off the top of their heads.
I accepted the rose.
"Thank you, Your Highness," I told him as I gave a curtsy.
This place is a playground for this person.
"A flower for your lovely self," he said as he handed another girl a flower of a different species.
I walked past him after lowering my head slightly.
One of his flowers...that is what I am. I will most likely be the main wife or the true Queen because of my familial position, but even a King will not love their wife enough to not have a few concubines. It was only until the current King that only has one wife, but he is still pressed to have more concubines.
I cannot keep him all to myself...
"Therefore, I do not get jealous..."
Love means nothing to Royalty...
I already finished my compulsory education. Retaking those classes may help with my social interaction, but there is far too little interaction within the classroom for making connections. Having said that, some believe it is necessary to show off how smart they are by attending those classes even if it is unnecessary.
I selected a few social courses, one strategic course, one economics course, a few compulsory courses, equestrian, archery, swordsmanship...etc.
"Arielle!" my friend Charlotte called out to me in homeroom.
Charlotte is a Viscount's Daughter and one of my very few close friends. She has long wavy lavender colored hair and beautiful violet eyes. We met over at a tea party before and have kept in contact since then. Much different to myself, Charlotte is a lovely and very cute free spirited young lady with a presence that makes anyone want to dote on her.
"Greetings, Charlotte."
"We are together again. I saw that you received a flower from His Highness! A red rose? That is romantic."
"You received a flower as well."
"It's a white lily for purity and innocence. You received a red rose...Romantic love!"
"Other girls also received flowers as well," I said.
"I still believe that you are special, Arielle! After all, you are the prettiest girl in school."
"Prettiest?"
I hardly have any traits that I am really proud of other than my mother's strawberry blonde hair and my father's light sky-blue eyes.
"Of course! You are always so blind to your own beauty."
Charlotte always sincerely flatters me. Despite this, I still get embarrassed.
"If anyone, I think you would fall under beautiful with your smile and personality," I said as I grabbed more red thread for my embroidery project for the next class.
Charlotte hugged me tightly in her large chest.
"Arielle!"
"I cannot breathe, Charlotte..."
It was a good thing that we were allowed to roam the school to gain inspiration for our projects. It would have been a bad picture for Charlotte to be cradling a Duke's Daughter in her chest.
I took a look at the rose I was given and saw some words written within the ribbon attached to the flower.
Tucked deep away in the school on a lovely patio with a crisp white patio set and large umbrella, His Highness was sitting by himself with a table full of food and the centerpiece being of my favorite flowers.
"Your Highness, I have received your summon," I said as I did a curtsy.
"Arielle, I am glad that you came," he said as he got up from his chair and approached me. He kissed the back of my hand before guiding me to my seat. "I have prepared your favorites."
"The occasion?"
"Your first day of many."
We ate together quietly as we made small talk about our day so far. I poured the both of us some tea to go along with desserts.
"Thank you for going out of your way–"
"Are you going to keep that tone?"
"I thought that it would be better to present myself this way by using a more respectful tone. We are surrounded by other nobles in this large garden. Furthermore, we are no longer children..."
"Ari, come here..." he said as he motion me with his hands.
He was using my childhood nickname. In times like these, it means that he wants affection. The type of affection he usually wants is usually the lewd kind...
I tucked back my skirt and slowly walked towards him.
"Yes?"
He had pulled on my wrist and thrown me roughly onto his lap with my back facing him.
I thought my heart would stop when he threw me.
His nose rubbed against the nape of my neck. The sensation made my body slightly tingle.
"Ari, you smell nice as always."
His hands gently and slowly made their way around my body. He had quickly unbuttoned the top buttons of my pinned up collar.
"Prince Erik, we are outside..."
He brushed his lips against the back of my neck.
"We are alone, yes?"
"I do not believe that is the point," I said as I turned towards him and placed my hands over his mouth.
He closed his eyes and began licking the palms of my hands. I quickly retreated and turned away from him.
"My lovely fiancée is so unbearably cute."
His Highness had picked up a strawberry and placed it between his lips. He had then pulled my chin up towards him. We joined together with a strawberry between our lips. Our wet kiss was mixed in with much saliva and sweetness from the strawberry.
This man's kisses are so sweet...
"Hah...Prince Erik, I still do not believe that this is the best place for such things," I said firmly.
His face showed much disappointment.
"I see..."
I felt slightly guilty from seeing his face.
"...If you do not mind, I could feed you."
His eyes began to sparkle.
"With your mouth?"
"With silverware!"
As I was cutting a slice of cake, I felt his hands rummaging around my skirt.
What is he doing?
"It would be better if these skirts were shorter..."
What is he talking about?
"Prince Erik?" I felt the contact of his bare hands on my thighs. "Eek! Prince Erik, why would you place your hands under my skirt?"
"It's much warmer this way."
Naughty prince...
"Please do not rummage around in there."
"I will only be in here for a bit...If you would please feed me," he said as he opened his mouth wide.
"...Gosh."
His hands began caressing my thighs.
I carelessly dropped the piece of cake onto my chest.
"Ah, you dropped it..."
"Let me get a napkin," I said as I reached over the table.
Thank goodness that it did not get on my clothes. This is the only good thing about having a large sized chest.
As I was about to get a napkin, I felt my body being pulled towards his waist.
His head was directly on top of me.
"It's a waste if we just clean it up..."
He was licking up the fallen piece in such a delirious manner.
"W-Wait!"
I heard him sigh as he removed his hands from my skirt and buttoned my collar back up. He then squeezed me in his embrace and rested his head on my shoulder.
"Prince Erik?"
"You are so comfortable..."
I caressed his head.
This person is a Crown Prince. If I can help him unravel a few times, I want to be beside him as a source of support.
We soon said our goodbyes as I went on my way to my next class which happened to be fencing.
"Wow...I wonder who that guy is. He has been unbeaten since the beginning of class."
I took off my helmet after finishing up the last round of fencing.
"It's still a bit hot in these things," I said my thoughts out loud.
"A girl?"
I could not help but notice the loud whispers around me.
My opponent had come up to me and taken off his mask. His blonde hair had fallen down and his face revealed to be very delicate and soft, almost like a girl.
"That was a rather splendid bout."
He held out his hand for me. I shook his hand briefly to be polite.
"I could say the same for you..."
"My apologies, my name is Hugo Harmon. I am the first son of Count Harmon."
I was not very acquainted with speaking with other men. I assumed that not returning his greeting would be rude.
"My name is Arielle Ira Maddox. I am the daughter of Duke Maddox It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance," I said.
"The pleasure is all mine."
I quickly made my way back to the dormitory to take a brief bath. I was glad that my fencing classes took place early in the mornings with my equestrian classes. That way, I can make my way back to the dorms to take a brief bath.
I think I did not plan my classes accordingly. Almost all of my classes lack another female entity. Females are essential for networking and forming relationships. For that reason, I took up sewing, flower arrangement, and other art classes on top of my governing and athletic classes.
I had already created a steady network among the females. I thought that I would use it to gather information about His Highness and his relationships with other females. I may not feel jealousy towards other girls, but that may not be the same for other girls.
To protect myself, I have undergone poison training, body conditioning, and spatial recognition training.
The one thing I can never figure out is His Highness...
It seems that His Highness is not as much of a playboy as I thought. There are practically no suspicious rumors of him wandering around with a beauty in his arms, but he does not really reject women that comes near him either. His Highness is either not seeing anyone or is so good at hiding secret relationships...I think it is the latter.
"Why can you just not accept that that His Highness is head over heels for you?" Charlotte asked.
"I am a terribly boring person, so I want to at least match his tastes."
I started researching up the beauties of this school. He had not been in contact with any one of them according to rumors...
Maybe I am looking at everything wrong.
Is His Highness interested in plain looking girls or ugly girls?